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Alternative Agricultural Water Transfer Methods -Grant Application Form <br />January 2008 <br />2005 was 4.1 percent. There are relatively few economic alternatives to agriculture in the Lower South <br />Platte Basin and the counties in this area are heavily dependant on agriculture for their economic base. <br />Agricultural Demo?phics <br />Agriculture has been a major influence in almost every area of socioeconomic concern because the basin <br />is located in one of the most agriculturally productive regions of the U. S. The basin's agricultural output <br />has both regional and national significance. Total land area of the Lower South Platte Basin is 2,350,336 <br />acres, with 91 percent of this land area dedicated to farming and ranching activities. Of the area in farm <br />and ranch, 53 percent is cropland. Of the cropland, 14 percent is irrigated cropland and 86 percent is <br />dryland. Grazing lands are utilized for beef cattle. The lands are irrigated by direct flow rights from <br />canals, by storage from reservoirs, and by pumping from alluvial aquifers. The introduction of irrigation <br />from both surface and ground water sources has diversified crops and increased livestock production. <br />Corn (grain and silage), hay, and onions are the main irrigated crops grown today. <br />10