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<br />003161 <br /> <br />", <br /> <br />CHAPTER II <br /> <br />GENERAL DISCUSSIONS <br /> <br />A new industry established in the region is the ~nufacturing of <br />gasoline from natural gas. Three such plants are now located near <br />Farmington and Bloomfield. A large number of Indians on nearby reser- <br />vations are engaged on a small scale in the manufacture of hand-made <br />jewelry and hand-woven rugs. <br /> <br />The nearest rail facilities available to the project are the <br />narrow-gage line at Aztec and Farmington and the standard-gage line at <br />Albuquerque and Gallup. Albuquerque and Gallup are 194 and 123 miles, <br />respectively, from Farmington by highway. New Mexico State Highway <br />No. 44 traverses the project area connecting with United States Highway <br />No. 66 at Albuquerque and United States Highway No. 550 at Aztec, N. Mex. <br /> <br />Need for Development <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />The need for additional irrigation development in the San Juan River <br />Basin in New Mexico involves the long-run needs for resource development <br />essential to continued normal economic growth. In addition to norl!l9.l <br />growth an urgent need is antiCipated in the near future for settlement <br />opportunities that new irrigation development s can provide. Workers who <br />are now migrating by the hundreds into the area to take part directly or <br />indirectly in the new natural gas and oil industry will tend to rel!l9.in <br />in the area. <br /> <br />Added to this increased population will be those workers and depend- <br />ents involved in the related industry, l!l9.nufacture of gas and oil from <br />coal deposits, which will surely develop at some future date. A somewhat <br />slower but steady growth is anticipated from the mining and processing' of <br />uranium ores. The expanded population of the area will likely cause an <br />increase in the production of various products, thus increasing the tonnage <br />of imports and probably bringing a standard-gage railroad into the area. <br />With the increased population the local market for foodstuffs will expand, <br />and with a standard-gage rail outlet an outside market. for all agricultural <br />products that can be produced in the area could be developed and secured. <br />The ultimate result will be an increased demand for settlement opportuni- <br />ties on farms. The present limited supply of developed farms and the <br />anticipated continuing high prices for them will narrowly restrict farming <br />opportunities unless new lands are brought into production. The expansion <br />in farm land which can be made without irrigation is negligible. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />With an increase in population and new industries, additional elec~' <br />tric generating capacity will be needed. Some new capacity is reported <br />to be imrnedi at ely desirable. No detailed studies of the potential local <br />power load growth have been made, however. Additional and more complete <br />processing.of the basin's wood, food, and mineral products rather than <br />their export in raw and semifinished form could be accomplished within <br />the basin if sufficient electric power were available. <br /> <br />18 <br /> <br />