Field Examination Report Proposed Weldona Valley WP Project

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r � r b. Clirats. At Font Horgan the 60 years of record show an average of 13.48 inches of preel.pit<_tion per year. The growing season is 14,G dayn. In .1950 the 1 aan temperate-r. waa 4,8 with a maxirn.ra of 94 and a. nlnin= of •19 c. Floodwater rung off £ron whe Hopc- Bishop, Schaafe:r, and Cottcnvwd Draws iv cover cd ado ;uately in the application. d. Agricultural Use of Land. The 42,000 acres in the proposed projact include 9, 000 acres of irrigated land; 8,OCO acres of d17 crop Sand; and 25 : 000 acr os of range land. The r,^•a. jcr portion_ of the d - , -y crop land shauld be returned to grass. A ecnsidera ile area of abw2don-.d Crop land is widest to support this rocs monda.tion. The pres3nt range lard cover is a short grass uasoci ation in faAr condition and showing hard use in past years. NoM abandoxned crop fields ara covered with three awnod grasz. e. Water Supplies. Irrigation rights and slater rupplies aro presvrad adequate In normal years. Stock water is furW.sl.ed primarily by deep and infrequently located well;, supplctionted by shallow ponds. 2. Chmership -and Tenure. Except for about 6, 500 acres of state land, the entire area is in private ownarship and the state land is unzler lease to two privats owners. There exe about 60 fern and rand operators of which about 10 operate the range and dry land. Most of the land is operated by otmore though a small account is by tenant:a. 3. ilatershed Problem; s. j Tho statement of floodwater and sediment 4LRagea Contained in this application a ears to be substantial ,a pp pp ly cam^^.: oCt. :slthck it is stated in the application that crop lossezi arising from interruption of irrigation schedules is the major kind of damage,, it is not to be inferred that other kinds of dta ages are of little importanco. In- undation of crops, scouring, and sedimantation of crop load and damage to roads and railroads is significant. In addition, I"loodwater entered the town of Weldena in 1955 and it in reported that se7ersl . bdsomonts were flooded. ' • Erozion damago is not a dignific..nt prcbleir. in the watershed. There is little evidence of active gullying. Sheet erosion and removal of surface soil on sore of the dty faze land has caused some damage. Flood flows cause some scour and gullying of the irrigated farm land, partizalarly when the land was planted to row crops. T'nere is no evidence that sediment mvement from the flood source area is excessive.