WSP10334

• File Number: 8407
• Description: Platte River Basin - River Basin General Publications
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 3/1/1982
• Author: Arthur D Little Inc
• Title: Six State High Plains-Ogallala Aquifer Regional Resources Study - Study Element B-9 - Dryland Farming Assessment
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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OD"ry,~/:,
! (... '-' .JU

of 5,215,000 acres, with its principal function and objective to -

"., ,make and enforce rules to provide for conserving,

preserving, protecting, recharging and preventing waste

of the underground water, ,."

Parts of Hale and Crosby Counties were voted into the District in

1967, and the present boundaries are now as shown on Map IV-6 on the

following page. The District also makes water surveys, develops plans,
undertakes research, collects and disseminates information,
requires well-drill ing permits, well spacing limits and rates of
production, among other functions, as required, With a small
staff of 15 working out of Lubbock, its achievements have been
impressive, perhaps most significantly through public education
efforts and the promotion of a widespread awareness of the necessity
to conserve the water. It is governed lJy a fi ve-member Board of
Di rectors with advi sory servi ces froln 15 fi ve-member county
committees. It is financed by a modest 4,5 cent per $100 valu-
ation ad valorem tax,
To summarize soil and water conditions in the Texas South
Plains today, we have seen that the soils are generally excellent
and ideally suited for crop production, They improve in tillable
quality and water-retention capacity from south to north, Combined
with a long frost-free growing season, a long-term average of
18 to 22 inches of rainfall annually and relatively high
temperature ranges, farming has been considerably more profitable
than was ranching in earlier times. Adding an abundant supply
of groundwater, widely available throughout the area and cheap

IV-33

Arthur D Little, Inc