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II I , I 'I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I OC:_~;~4< Current and future land use is strongly influenced by the suitability of land resources to maintain or expand those uses of importance to the Region. The High Plains Region also differs from national trends in this regard. Based on a USDA land classification system which categorizes soils relative to crop production suitabil ity, 23 percent of the nonfederal lands in the nation are classified as prime soils, i.e., either Class I or Class II land. Prime soils occupy 31% of the High Plains lands, and in certain states such as Colorado and Kansas, the incidence of prime soils in the High Plains area is over 50%. Soil suitability and relatively flat topography are among the important characteristics supporting agricultural uses of the land, although other natural resources, notably water, also have an important effect on 1 and use. Table 1-4 illustrates si gnifi cant land use characteri stics for the Region. Land use trends and related characteristics are generally consistent across the High Plains Region, although some differences among the states do exist. The following discussion focuses on current state land use and, where available data permits, land use trends within the Ogallala region of the states. State Land Use Summary Kansas The Kansas High Plains region contains 18.1 million acres of land, which is roughly one-thi rd of the total area of the state. In 1979, 96% of the region was reported to be in farms, and more than one-thi rd was producing harvested crops. Most of the land in the study area is considered potentially irrigable, a total of over 12 million acres. Prime soils represent 85% of the land area categorized as potentially irrigable. Much of the 6.1 million acres which are considered nonirrigable are located in an extensive sand dune area located in the southern part of the state. 1-37