FLOOD10335

• County: Mesa
• Stream Name: Indian Wash
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Title: Watershed Work Plan - Indian Wash Watershed, Mesa County, CO
• Date: 9/1/1961
• Prepared By: Upper Grand Valley Soil Conservation District
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Flood Mitigation/Flood Warning/Watershed Restoration

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The 5,735 acres of Federal rangeland, over which the U. S. Bureau
of Land Management has jurisdiction, constitute 87 percent of the
watershed area ~ove .~he High Line Canal. .This land is a part of the
Mount Garfield Grazing Unit and is included with the surrounding area
in \oJ'inter..;;spring'grazing. allotments for. cattle. . .At one -tiJrie much of
this area was traversed by the old Utah-Colorado stock driveway and
was all but depleted of forage resources, a condition typical of the
adjacent rangelands. Passage of the Taylor Grazing Act in 1934 stopped
many of the abuses, although large numbers of animals continue to
use the land.

Of the privately-owned agricultural land in the watershed, there
are 1,260 acres of irrigated cropland and 1,230 acres of. rangeland.
Approximately equal areas of the range land are located above and
below the High Line Canal. All of the irrigated cropland lies below
the High Line Canal, except for two small tracts that are located in
the tributary area to the east of the main Indian Wash channel and are
served by pumping from the High Line Canal.

Irrigation far.ming is the basis of the agricultural economy and
includes 79 ownerships, with an average of 16 acres of irrigated land.
The largest unit of irrigafed cropland contains 198 acres. The
principal crops grown are alfalfa, corn, small grain, irrigated
pasture, fruit, and vegetables. Much of the crop production is marketed
for cash, but some is utilized in livestock enterprises. The composite
acre gross of the flood-free crop production in this area is estimated
to average about ~110 per acre. The current market value of land in
the benefited area averages $500 per acre for the irrigated land.

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Most of the farm units are either owner-operated or rented by
long-ter.m tenants. There is an increasing tendency toward urbanization
of the agricultural lands adjoining the City of Grand Junction, and
it is e:>..-pected that eventually a large part of the irrigated land in
the watershed below the Grand Valley Canal will be converted to
residential and commercial use.

About 780 acres in the watershed are developed for residential
and commercial use at the present time. The homes in this area range
in value from $8,000 to $16,000. Commercial establishments in the
area include motels, trailer parks, warehouses, a drive-in theater,
a radio station, and various small retail stores. The estimated
value of individual buildings ranges from about ~10,000 to over
$200,000. Prices of the land used for residential and commercial
purposes range from $1,800 upward per 50-foot lot.

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