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<br />Project Beneficiary Profile: <br /> <br />The economy of the watershed is based on irrigated agriculture. The 1996 per capita <br />income for the area was $18,197, whereas the Colorado per capita income was <br />$25,740 for the same period. The population within the watershed is 63 percent White, <br />35 percent Hispanic, and 2 percent other with an average age of 35. The average age <br />of a Colorado resident is 29. The June 1998 unemployment rate for Otero County, <br />Colorado was 5.6 percent which compares with 3.9 percent for Colorado. The median <br />house value for the watershed is $38,200 compared to the state median value of <br />$82,700. <br /> <br />Wetlands: Type I,ll, III <br />Type VNI <br /> <br />- approximately 3,000 Ac. <br />- approximately 12,000 Ac. <br /> <br />Flood Plains: <br /> <br />The floodplain along the Arkansas River will not be significantly affected <br />by the project since benefited area is not in the flood plain. <br /> <br />Highly erodible cropland: <br />There are 59,200 acres of HEL lands in the watershed. <br /> <br />Threateneo & Endangered Species - known range for the following: <br /> <br />Black-Footed Ferret, Bald Eagle, Whooping Crane, <br />Piping Plover, Least Tern, Swift Fox <br />American Peragine Falcon, Mountain Plover <br />Arkansas Darter, Colorado Butterfly Plant <br /> <br />Cultural Resources: <br /> <br />Sites in the area include: a canal, prehistoric remains, and historic trails. <br />None are anticipated to be in the work area. <br /> <br />Problem Identification: <br /> <br />Major problems ioentified in the watershed are: impaired water quality in the Arkansas <br />River as well as in surface and groundwater in the watershed, less than optimum <br />irrigation water management, and excessive irrigation induced erosion to the irrigated <br />cropland. <br /> <br />The cause of these problems are related to several factors. There has been a change <br />in irrigation diligence due to reduced man-power since the 1950s. The irrigation water <br />delivery system loses considerable amounts of water that is needed for crop production. <br />After Pueblo dam was constructed the irrigation waters being delivered to producers <br />was much cleaner. The result being that ditches and furrows are not being sealed by <br />silt as they were prior to the dam. <br /> <br />2 <br />