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<br />Soci81 - Economic
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<br />As wi th most of Co loradc, th,~ GlH1n i son l3a':~ i (] ,'JJS -'",(0 ;'Jred ~)y t~:e;
<br />Spanish, but they made no attempt to settl~ t:,er',!" ~2r,ta;r, Gunnison
<br />explored much of the basin in 1881 searching for a feasible railroad
<br />route across the Continental Divide. In 1873, the Jt6 Indians ceded
<br />the upper basin to the fedoral government cil",': se.:r,:L"';",1t "t<'i'Ced
<br />almost immediately, The Uncompahgre Basir, and t"tic'\'I~r ''''''Ie remai:'ied
<br />an Indian reservation until 18;31 \<Ihen the lan::is Were oe'o""d to settle-
<br />ment. In 1882, a railroad entered the valley and sett\emenl and irriga-
<br />tion of lands has made progress since that time.
<br />
<br />The Census of Irrigation
<br />age by drainage basins,
<br />follows:
<br />
<br />illustrates the develr)fynent (~'T ; n';gat~::J act'e-
<br />Irrigated acreage for the !91)-74 p~'lod was as
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<br /> Uncompahgre North Smi th Tomich! Gunnison :" U i j f ~ ~ ~, \..! ;
<br />Year River Fork Fork Creek River Other Rive;" Total
<br /> --- ---- -" --- --
<br />1919 86,119 31,006 15,314 21,752 17,373 171,564
<br />1929 89,679 38,725 19,329 17,336 20,682 185,751
<br />1939 96,515 52 , 779 20,407 33,104 93,307 296,112
<br />1949 103,735 25,501 18,408 27,396 94,357 269,397
<br />1959 111,000 21,000 16,000 27,000 73,000 248,000
<br />1964 97,221 26,272 15,282 23,436 87,156 249,367
<br />1969 115,000 28,961 15,028 25,818 71 ,393 256,200
<br />1974
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<br />The total irrigated acreage in the Gunnison River Basin is 260,000 acres
<br />of which 184,700 acres are in the Lower Gunnison Basin Unit. Alfalfa,
<br />grass, hay, and pasture are the most important crops grown (66%);
<br />followed by small grain (11%), corn(6%), orchard (5%), dry beans (4%)
<br />and miscellaneous other crops. In an average year, approximately 8,000
<br />acres are idle. Within the Lower Gunnison Basin are the Uncompahgre,
<br />Fruitgrowers Dam, Paonia and Smith Fork Federal Reclamation projects
<br />which serve full or supplemental water to 88,000 acres on 2,326 farms.
<br />The average 1964-73 value of crops harvested per acre for the projects
<br />was $134 and average farm size is 38 acres. The $5,000 average value of
<br />production per farm accounts for the large percentage of part-time and
<br />retirement farmers, and in part, to poor irrigation systems and manage-
<br />ment.
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