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<br />2-12 <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />001'? <br /> <br />12 <br /> <br />Las Anifllas Consolidated and Extension Ditches to Public Service Company of <br />Colorado <br />Ft. Bent Ditch to Lamar <br /> <br />13 <br /> <br />Development of information about the historical transfhs is helpful in identifying potential issues <br />and understanding any trends which may exist in the co~dition of irrigated agriculture in the lower <br />Arkansas River Valley. An attempt was made to asses~ the following types of impacts: <br /> <br />. Agricultural impacts <br />. Economic impacts <br />. Social impacts <br />. Environmental impacts <br /> <br />i <br />The main agricultural impact for all of these transfers ihas been or will be the loss of lands from <br />irrigated crop production. The transfers have rerhoved approximately 56,100 acres from <br />production. Data from Kansas vs. Colorado indicates that from Pueblo to the state line the 1940- <br />1985 average of land under irrigation from 25 ditch, companies is 320,851 acres. Historical <br />transfers account for 56,100/320,851 or about an 18 percent reduction thus far. <br /> <br />Social effects are manifested in an increased sensitivity to removal of water from the valley. Dried- <br />up farms are easily identified by the knowledgeable ob$erver. The level of concern and conflict is <br />high. Public actions have begun at the grass roots i level to deal with water transfer issues. <br />Economic and environmental changes resulting from thE'ise transfers are difficult to quantify because <br />changes in the valley are the result of several factors, including conditions in agricultural markets <br />nationwide. <br /> <br />Water right sale information was obtained on six major transfers of both lower and upper Arkansas <br />water rights and is presented in Table 2.1. The Lower Arkansas water rights of the Las Animas <br />Consolidated Canal, Colorado Canal Companies, and Rocky Ford Ditch are comparable to the Ft. <br />Lyon Canal system. These comparable water rights w~re sold in the years 1985 to 1988 at a cost <br />which ranged from $1,570 to $3,152 per acre foot of ~onsumptive use. <br /> <br />Other Upper Arkansas water rights have sold at much! higher values. <br />