WSP09766

• File Number: 8443.100
• Description: Narrows Unit - Project Description
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 8/1/1966
• Author: US DoI BoR
• Title: Narrows Unit Colorado South Platte Division Missouri River Basin Project Appendix IV - Agricultural and Project Economics
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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channels, and have a comparativel,y level topography. Approximatel,y
70 percent of the service area is smooth or lies on gentle slopes
of less than 3 percent.

Terrace land generall,y lies 10 to 80 feet above the Platte's
channel and ranges from one-fourth to 10 miles in width. Bottom
lands occuring nearest to the river are also variable in width.
The natural smoothness and gentle slopes provide excellent topography
for irrigated crop production. In areas of uneven relief, the soil
is of sufficient depth so that land grading and leveling can be
accomplished at moderate expense.

General Economic Development

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The econo~ of the area is agriculturally oriented. As shown
in the U. S. Depart~nt of Commerce "1962 County and City Data Book,"
most of the business volume is from the sale of farm pro~ucts and
wholesale and retail trade - while manufacturing is minor in volume
of business. Table 1 sUllIlllarizes volume of business by major industry
for Morgan, Logan, Washington and Sedgwick counties and the State
of Colorado. Agriculture is the major industry in these four pre-
dominately rural counties; whereas, for the State of Colorado,
wholesale and retail trade leads agriculture by a wide margin
which is primarily due to large urban centers.

A significant influence on the local economy is the presence
of the sugar beet industry, with processing plants located in the
towns of Fort Morgan, Brush, Sterling, and Ovid, Colorado. About
one-fourth of Colorado's sugar beet tonnage (2,438,479 tons) was
produced in these four counties according to the 1959 census of
agriculture. In the four counties listed above, sugar refining is
the major manufacturing industry.

Petroleum production and refining have developed into a sub-
stantial industrial activity in the four county area. In addition
to the physical production of oil and gas and the processing and
marketing of these products, oil companies maintain offices in the
local towns, hire operation and maintenance crews, maintain leases
on land and perform exploratory work which all contribute to the
general econo~ of the area.

Markets and Transportation

The area is adequately served by transportation facilities.
The Union Pacific Railroad traverses the length of the area. The
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad crosses the area from east
to west with its Omaha to Cheyenne line. A branch line of the
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad running from Denver to

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