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- 2 - <br />SM7ARY -- Continued <br />The sponsors and watershed people are cognizant of their responsi- <br />bilities to: secure easements, rights -of -way, and water rights; to act <br />as contracting agent; and to operate and maintain the project. These <br />responsibilities and problems were discussed at the field examination <br />meeting held Thursday night, August 7, 1958. They have requested that <br />further planning investigations proceed to determine the economic feasi- <br />bility of the project objectives. <br />The sponsors have jurisdiction over all the watershed lands <br />involved. <br />In the opinion of the field examination party, a project plan can be <br />developed which will be economically feasible. <br />WATERSHED DESCRIPTION <br />. The watershed of O'Neil Draw extends about twelve miles northwest of <br />Julesburg, Colorado. It flows through the town at flood stage after <br />passing over and damaging adjacent irrigated land comprising about 2,500 <br />acres.. Drainage is well defined in the southern portion but indefinite <br />in the upper portion. <br />Topography ranges from undulating on the upland to moderately steep <br />along the lower portion of the main channel. The mouth of the draw <br />empties out on a broad floodplain of highly productive irrigated cropland. <br />The watershed lies in the Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska table- <br />land area. The soils consist mainly of Cheyenne gravelly sandy loams in <br />the canyon bottoms, Rosebud gravelly sandy loam on the sides of the draw; <br />and Rosebud loam and Rosebud silt loam on the tablelands. The bottom land, <br />which is subject to frequent flooding, is predominantly Tripp Series soils. <br />Sheet erosion is slight on the more level areas with moderate sheet <br />and gully erosion appearing on some of the steeper slopes. <br />Rainfall averages about 17 inches annually varying from extremes of <br />7.7 to 28,41 Nearly 80 per cent (13.3 ") of precipitation occurs from <br />April through September and during this period thunderstorms are sometimes <br />torrential with severe floods occurring about once in five years. Severe <br />flooding occurred in the years 1933, 1936, 1941 19 .7, and 1951. <br />Temperatures range from a high of 108 to a low of -36 0 F. Growing <br />season averages about 150 days. The uplands are devoted mostly to <br />wheat under an alternate crop and summer fallow system. <br />Areas subject to flooding include: <br />1. <br />Dryland <br />200 acres <br />2. <br />Irrigated Cropland <br />250 acres <br />3. <br />Pasture <br />700 acres <br />4. <br />Urban Julesburg <br />500 acres <br />5. <br />Length of Railroad <br />3.5 miles <br />6. <br />Highway <br />3.5 miles <br />7. <br />County Roads <br />6 miles <br />