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projects pure than justify the reimbur-
<br />sable expenditures involved --expendi-
<br />tures that will be repaid in full in
<br />40 gears.
<br />What are the di r _ _•t ben .f~i±a?
<br />;;'h~rP drv ~raain~ las;ds are converted
<br />i}1to new ir2'7.Sated farms. the fay
<br />Pntnl ngrnPnt ~=th:E' 421ue Of ~, G~
<br />gz-own will far exceed the ~rresent re-
<br />turn from those lands. Where supple-
<br />mental water is provided to existing
<br />irrigated land that is chronically
<br />short'of adequate water supplies,
<br />either more intensive crops can be
<br />grown, or notablg higher yields can
<br />be obtained from the same crops as
<br />are now grown, In both cases, ex-
<br />panded farm business results.
<br />With supplemental water assuring an
<br />an adequate y~earlg supply, much Upper
<br />Basin irrigated land now growing for-
<br />age and feed corps could produce the
<br />more valuable frait and truck crops,
<br />or such crops as potatoes, sugar beets,
<br />and car^.rn? ro crops. However, the lands
<br />which are not adaptable for these higher
<br />value crops would produce signigicantlg
<br />greater yiels of the present crops.
<br />For example, some lacvds now yielding
<br />1~ to 2 toms of hay or 30 to 35 bushels
<br />of barley per acre.
<br />8eaay markets are assured for the
<br />expanded irrigated farm production to
<br />result from the participating projects.
<br />The m= .l ~ti nn of he Uvoer Bads§n
<br />States has lien grow.inE ~y 1_ seas
<br />and bounds,,~articularly in the lar_er city are s
<br />where the impact of industrial ~•owth has been
<br />a major factor. The population of the four Upper
<br />Basin States-Colorado, New llesico, Utah, and
<br />`Vyominb has increased 60 percent in the past.
<br />20 years.. This is a growth rate faster than pre-
<br />vailed for the Nation as a whole. The 3,926,000
<br />four-State population of 1960 is expected to ex-
<br />ceed 5,000,000 by 1975. Ob~riously, the local
<br />markets for farm products from the participating
<br />projects will be b owing markets.
<br />In addition, the hP~y~ ~nrl ~ontinnino rinrn~ls~-
<br />ti_on azowth in the Pacific Coast States,u-
<br />larly in alifornia. also offers ~rowin~ markets
<br />for partici atinm proiect farm products. It is a
<br />well established, but too often little understood
<br />fact, that irrigation projects producing the type
<br />of crops to be grown on the participating projects
<br />of the Upper Basin do not contribute to the Na-
<br />tion's supply of crops in surplus.
<br />The expansion of irrigation agriculture through
<br />the- construction of the participating projects will
<br />establish oases throughout the arid Upper Cola
<br />redo River Basin. Communities will grow, and
<br />this stable aspect of the overall economy of the
<br />region will be greatly expanded.
<br />Along with the expansion of irrigation farming
<br />will come, as it already has to some deb~•ree, the
<br />development of industries utilizing the vast min-
<br />eral resources of the Upper Colorado River Basin.
<br />OiI and gas discoveries since tiVorld ~Var II have
<br />been extensive acid exploration continues on a
<br />large scale. Last gear, mining of phosphate ores
<br />began in`ivhe huge deposits on the south flank
<br />of the Uinta Mountains near Vernal, Utah.
<br />Anew plant is under construction near Green
<br />River, ~Pyo., to mine trope, a mineral tivhich is
<br />processed into soda ash, a chemical in great de-
<br />mand for many uses. Near 1loab, Utah, huge
<br />potash deposits will be mined and processed at n
<br />plant now under construction.. Large steam elec-
<br />tric generating plants, utilizing tons of _the
<br />great deposits of coal in the Upper Basin, are
<br />being planned . or are under construction near
<br />Kemmerer, IVyo. ; Craig, Colo. ; and Sliiprock,
<br />N. Mex.
<br />Another facet of the diversifying Upper Basin
<br />economy gill be the recceatioiuil development.
<br />yluch of the Upper Basin is fascinating, colorful,
<br />largely unopened wild country.. For example,
<br />Lake Powell, the reser.-oir to be formed behind
<br />Glen Canyon Dam, ~~-ill back a 186-mile-long lake
<br />into the unparalleled can~'on country of sotttli-
<br />eastern Utah. Several new \ utional Parks have
<br />been proposed in the I~ pper Rusin by Secretary of
<br />the Interior Udall. .Tourism ~vi}1 l~ecoriie a major
<br />"industry" in the Upper Colorado Basin.
<br />Following are some details of part-
<br />ici a r s.
<br />WATER SN 1962
<br />Hammond Proiect, Mew Me~.co. A 3,900
<br />acre project in a sunbaked desert area
<br />near Bloombield, N. Mex., the Hammond
<br />project area was first settled in 1870;
<br />but all that was left were the abandon-
<br />ed ditches which offered stark testimony
<br />of the unsuccessful attempts to build
<br />and maintain permanent diversion dams
<br />on the San Juan River. The new diver-
<br />sion dam, distribution canal, put~ping
<br />plant, and laterals will provide full
<br />supply of water to these dry acres.
<br />r
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