Laserfiche WebLink
<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 <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />O[)Z2~7 <br /> <br />energy to pump it, conditions were ideal for rapid growth of the <br />agricultural economy following restrictive conditions during World <br />War II. The region had the good fortune or wise foresight, or both, <br />to establish early in the years of water depletion an institutional <br />means to promote, encourage and require water conservation prac- <br />tices. The groundwater district has remained close to the farm pro- <br />ducer and under excellent management has proven a valuable asset <br />to the South Plains community. We now examine this growth and <br />later ask: How long can it last and what will be the impacts of <br />its not lasting? <br />Agricultural Production and Marketing Today <br />It is unlikely that any large agricultural region in the <br />United States -- perhaps in the world -- is so intensively crop- <br />farmed as is the group of some 21 counties called the Texas South <br />Plains. The case study counties illustrate this high percentage <br />of land use devoted to crop production. One observes the virtually <br />complete use of land. There are of course some unproductive lands-- <br />small playa lake-beds, sand hills too hilly to irrigate and culti- <br />vate, the mesquite pasture-land below the Cap Rock in the eastern <br />counties, urban built-up areas and the roadways. There do remain <br />a few cattle and sheep spreads, but nothing like the size of ear- <br />lier times, making livestock grazing no longer an important eco- <br />nomi c factor. <br />land Uses, Farm Size, Crop Yields, and Production Trends <br />The following Table IV-6 contrasts total land and cropped land <br /> <br />IV-35 <br /> <br />Arthur D Little.lnc. <br />