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<.::> A Q) ~ 1 PART III. HISI'ORY OF DEVELORwtErIT A. Acres Irrigated Prior to Colora.do River Storap,e Project Authorization A study of the irrigated acreage in the Upper Basin shows that about 800,000 acres were irrigated by 1905, Irrigation development took place gradually I"om the beginning of settlement about 1860, but was hastened by the purohase of land from the Indians in 1873, BetYeen 19J5 and 1920 the development of irrigated land Continued at a rapid pace, and by 1920 nearly 1,400,000 acres were irrigated. Then the development leveled off and there has been very little increa~e since that tim~. The 1929 and 1939 agrioulture CenoUses shoy a little OVer 1,400,000 acres irrigated yith the 1949 and 1959 CenSUleI recording c litt1, cnd'J' thac amount. The lack of fUrther incr~ase in irriguted a~reage in the Upper Basin IS asoribed to both physiCal and economic limitations in the availability of Yater, By 1920 most of the loyer cost and more easily constructed de- velopments Yere in operation, and, althOUgh SOme ney developments have taken place since that time, they have been OHset by other acreages go- ing Out of prOduction. A large acreage is irrigated in the Lower Basin beloy Imperial ~~ and in the Gila River yatershed. &~udies of irrigated acreages within the Lower EoSin show about 12,000 aeres irrigated in Nevada and 23,500 acres in Utah, including 10,000 acres preSently irrigated in the Dixie Project area. Irrigation began in the Palo Ve"de area in 1879 and was expanded be- tween 1905 and 1908 by construotion of an intake etructure and gravity canal. A new diversio" "truceure was complo-ted in 1957 allowing the ir- ri.dted acreage to be increased. The irrieated arcs in 1,66 repOrted by the Pula Verde Ir!'...:.gation District ....a::; 86,86.:, acres. Irrigation on the Colorado Hi vcr Indian Reservation "a" ,'irst at- te~pted 1n 1870, but failure of th. heaagate stl~cture reSulted in flood_ ing seetions or' the .,alley, Other dEriculties were en 'ow',ered, and by 1936 only 5,000 acres were aduall,. irrigated, W!ch CO~pletion 01' a new diverSion st"ueture 10 191,2 the aereace has Steadil,. bcreased,rhe irri- gated area in 1966 reported b,. the Btu-eau of Indian An-airs wac 06,919 acres. B. Depletio::s During the period or' reoord exa~in"G ;,. detail In thic repOrt (1941- 66), the average yearly oons""'Optive Use of '.ater Yhhin the UPPeI' BaSin is estbated to be about 1.670, aer._ f"", This is low"O~pared with 13