Marijuana field found in national forest

DENVER, July 24 (UPI) -- More than 50,000 marijuana plants worth an estimated $2.5 million have been found on Sugarloaf Mountain in Colorado's Pike National Forest, officials say.

Members of the West Metro Drug Task force spent nearly 24 hours removing the pot plants that weighed nearly 2,000 pounds, The Denver Post reported Friday.

Jacki Kelley, a spokesperson for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, says the sophisticated pot-growing operation stretched over three-quarters of a mile and featured an elaborate irrigation system.

Each of the plants had an individual drip line that was attached to a sprinkler pipe, Kelley said.

In order to bring water to the plants, the growers had dammed a nearby stream.