FLOOD10384 ‎(2)‎

• County: Statewide
• Title: Natural Resources of Colorado
• Date: 1/1/1963
• Prepared By: US Department of the Interior
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

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waters, power reserves, stock driveways, and
for land classification.

Agricultural Resources
Although the number of people: engaged in
farming and the number of farms in Colorado
has declined steadily and rapidly over the years,
the average acreage per farm has increased.
The average farm in 1910 was about 293.1 acres;
in 1960, just 50 years later, the average farm was
four times as large, 1,161.6 acres.
Only 127,560 people in Colorado comprise
the farm population-about 7 percent of the
population. In Colorado, there are about
33,000 farms embracing some 39 million acres.

The State is one of the leaders in the N,
in the development and use of agricultural
gation water, which is used in every CQ
except one. Weld County, located in the S
Platte River Basin in northeastern Colorad
consistently among the top 10 agricul
counties in the country.

Timber Resources of Colorado

Colorado's forest lands include nearly 20
lion acres, or about one-third, of the Sf
area. About 7 million acres are priv
owned. Most of the remainder is w

A Farmer and his irrigator inspect the bumper sugar beet crop obtained in Reclamation's Colorado-Big Thompson
near Greeiey, Colorado. Latest methods of water control In this formerly arid section have made northwestern Cc
Q fine truck-farming area.

The cash receipts from 1958 to 1960 averaged
about $608 million, including livestock and
livestock products. The livestock industry is
" major one in Colorado, and Colorado ranks
fourth in the Nation in production of sheep
and lambs.
Other important agricultural commodities in
Colorado are field crops, with sugar beets and
broomcorn production ranking second in the
Nation. Sudangrass seed, wheat, barley, sor-
ghum grain, and rye also rank high.
Colorado also produces large quantities of
high quality fruits and commercial vegetables.
Chief among these are spinach, green p~as,
onions, beans, cucumbers, potatoes, lettuce,
cauliflower, and cantaloupes.

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Colorado's 12 National Forests, althougl
National Land Reserve supports a subst:
timber cover.
Less than half of the forests are classifi
commercial forests. Almost 12 million
are noncommercial forests used nrimaril
grazing, recreation and warershed protei
From the eight million acres of camm
forests-about 2 million acres of whicJ
privately owned-more than 30 million
feet of timber are taken annually. Most (
timber is used in sawlogs-enough wo<
build more than 16,000 average homes. I
products produced include pulpwood, ra:
ties, mine timbers, telephone poles, and
Almost all of the commercial timber in