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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />i I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />0""'1." <br />U'-..tJ <br /> <br />II -- SUMMARY FINDINGS <br />Report sections to follow describe and compare the pre-irriga- <br />tion situations in the Texas South Plains and in Southwest Kansas, <br />the situations in these two areas today, and expected future trends, <br />area-wide and within individual counties, cities and towns. This <br />Summary highlights only the area-wide situations and records the <br />evidence and widespread prevailing local viewpoints on probable <br />future economic and social trends as the areas adjust to less water <br />and more costly water, These highlights include on-farm agricul- <br />tural production trends, off-farm agri-business trends, general <br />economic and social trends, and area demographic conditions, all of <br />which were assessed in the case study counties during the period <br />October 1980 through November 1981. <br />THE TEXAS SOUTH PLAINS <br />Before irrigation of the Texas South Plains from underground <br />waters stored in the Ogallala Formation, the agricultural economy <br />was first a vast cattle ranching enterprise, then a mixed ranching <br />and dry1and farming enterprise, with cotton and wheat the principal <br />crops. The natural grasslands gave way to the plow at about the <br />turn of the last century, and an incredibly rich soil combined with <br />18 to 22 inches annually of rainfall to produce good yields of <br />cotton, wheat, and grain sorghums for the new settlers. By the <br />1940s, crop farming was firmly established, the half-section farm <br />was typical, and the region was poised for a major expansion, <br />awaiting improved deep-well pumping technology and low-cost sources <br /> <br />1I-1 <br /> <br />Arthur D Little,lnc <br />