WSP11486

• File Number: 8220.129.J
• Description: Upper Gunnison Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Gunnison
• Water Division: 4
• Date: 11/1/1962
• Author: CWCB and USDA
• Title: Water and Related Land Resources - Gunnison River Basin - Colorado - Nov 1962 - Part 2 of 2
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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Agricultural Economy

The Uncompahgre subbasin has a greater variety of crops grown and a larger
irrigated acreage than any other subbasin in the Gunnison River Basin. Its
irrigated agriculture changes from a livestock feed producing area in
Ouray County on the south to general cash-crop production in central Montrose
County and southwestern Delta County on the north. The subbasin includes
all the irrigated land in Ouray County, the majority of irrigated land in
Montrose County, and a minor part of the irrigated land in Delta County.

Sources of agricultural production data and procedures have been discussed
on page 17. In addition, data were used from the Bureau of Reclamation
Annual Crop Reports and Water Distribution data for their Uncompahgre
project for the 1941-60 period.

Agricultural Production

Annual data for crop acreages, production, and values were compiled for the
1943-60 period because satisfactory water-supply data were available for
that period only. Averages for 1943-49 and 1950-56 show trends within the
1943-60 period (table 31).

General cash crops, such as dry beans, vegetables, potatoes, fruit, and
sugar beets, averaged about l3~ percent of the total irrigated acreage,
but about 48 percent of gross crop value from 1943-60. All hay accounted
for about 33 percent of the irrigated acreage and 25 percent of the gross
crop value. Corn and small grains represented the remaining 27 percent
gross crop value, while corn, small grains, and irrigated pasture comprised
the remaining 53~ percent of irrigated acreage. (Irrigated pasture was
not considered part of cropland harvested in determining gross crop values.)
Average irrigated acreage of the Uncompahgre subbasin for the 1943-60
p~riod has been estimated at 105,300 acres.

Currently, there are 49 Forest Service permits for cattle. Cattle number
6,035 head and usually graze from June 15 to October 15 for a total of
24,742 animal-unit months. Sheep ranches have five permits to graze 4,625
sheep from July 1 to September 20 for a.total of 2,483 animal-unit months.

Bureau of Land Management permits total 48 ,for cattl~ ranches headquartered
in the subbasin with 7,365 animal-unit months ,of grazing. Sheep permits
number 43 for ranches headquartered in the subbasin with 20,369 animal-unit
months of grazing. The Uncompahgre subbasin has about 61 percent of the
total animal-unit months of grazing on the national land reserve in the
Gunnison River Basin.

Number of cattle, tons of all hay, and acres of irrigated pasture are a
few of the items presented in table 32 for census years 1944-59. Numbers
of cows and heifers that have calved, increased in number from 16,271 in
1944 to 19,389 in 1959. During the same period milk cows decreased in
number from 3,916 to 2,609. By subtracting milk cow numbers from total
cows and heifers that have calved the number of beef cows amounted to
,

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