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.<>1 ;:'i~ "'"/g\l 1;;',1 t....._.; ~;d ef beef cattle. Probably, however, the most desirable and profitable means of using the increased feed supplies will be by maintenance of additional dairy cattle for the ultimate production of cream, butter and cheese to supply more adequ~tely the local and Valley markets and for export. Population Trends Conejos County and the project area is generally populated only in those portions in which irrigation has been developed. The population of Conejos County as determined by the Bureau of the Census for the years 1920, 1930, and 1940 was 8,416, .9,803 and 11,648 respectively. As none of the settlements in the county contain 2500 inhabitants, the entire population of the county is considered rural by the Census Bureau. There are, however, several small towns and villages in the area with an aggregate population slightly in excess of 4600 persons. The larger of these, Antonito and Manassa, had 1940 populations of 1220 and 1008 respec- tively. On the average in, irrigated communities in the west there are two residents in the towns and villages of the immediate service area for each person residing on an irrigated farm. Conejos County is considerably below the average in this respect. The low and often inadequate income resulting from the annual irrigation shortage has been incapable ~f supporting a con- stant strong demand for goods and services, thus retarding the normal devel- opment of the tuwns and cities in the area. With project developr.ent assuring greater stability to the inco",RS of project residents, the volume of business in the are~ will be measurably increased. Thus, the returns to retail and service establishments will be greater and there will be a strong neei and demand for additional grocery, dry goods, furniture and drug st~res, filling ~tations, autcmobile agoncies, restaurants, sel~ice and repair enterprises, barber shops, laundries, machine and welding shops and Jther service institutions. tis~rict Financ~s The Conejos Water Conservancy District, which was formed under the provisions of the Colorado Conservancy District Law Df 1937 for the purpose of contracting with the Government, receives annually through tax assessment in excess of $1,500 which is used for the payment of current operating expenses. The district has no bonded indebtedness. During the past few years, the remaining indebtedness of the two principal caLaIs has been removed. It is belioved t.hat none of the canals in the project area are in debt at present other than minor amounts for current operating expenses. AnDual assessments for oreration and mainte~' nance are nominal. On most of the canal~ the water users cooperate annualJy in performing such cleaning and repairing as may be necessary. One of the more important canals le~ied an assessment of about 60 cents per acre in 1946. As t.his charge included a sum for debt retirement, future assessments are expected to ~e measurably less. 11 .