The Arkansas Valley Depends uopn More Water: Fryingpan Arkansas Project

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TF A critical shortage of water exists in the Arkansas River Basin of Colorado, a shortage that menaces the econorn c stability of the entire region fihF shortage is the ,exult of population growth, industrial expansion and a natural deficiency in precipitation: It is imperative that additional supplies of water be secured if this region is to continue to expand and develop. The hryingpan= Arkansas Project is the only hope for new water no, ether source is available ` \\ Water is the very iifebiood of the semi -arid Arkansas Valley. lrriga= �- tion is the oniy way to caffset the natural deficiency in precipitationo Farming and livestock, the principal industries are wholly dependent it upon irrigation Almost frorn the arrival of the first settlers in the valley - water ha,; beQrl diverted fron, the rivers and >+rearns for irrga- €i,�r� L)ue to extreme fluctuations iii the flow of the Arkansas Diver, fart °nf rs of the, Valley face each year with uncertainty = : will this year bring a harvest or a trop failure? This under= tainty, this constant anxiety, has an adverse and depressing effect on all business activity of the region, Farmers throughout the Valley agree that the cost of supplemental irrigation water from the Project, $5.40 per acre foot; is cheap crop insurance when the crop invest - rnent threatened with total loss would range from $50 to $500 Per acre. The Project will put no new lands under irrig tion, it will only furnish supplernentai water to the 280,600 acres now irrigated reducing the average headgate deficiency from 38% to 19 %. The Fryingpan- Arkansas Project will provide thi- GLIC)h 6g10YOY &r Sto rt, }�3h1 assurance of a harvest even in drought years. The supplernF,ntai wafer furnished by the Project will mean the difference between un- certainty and stable farm income . between development and stag= r� e nation, Sono _c stability cannot be realized in the Arkansas Valley W� bih7ed=ntl form, P rcdrctior is t Lack of water is halting the expansion and deveioprnent of the — Arkansas Valley, Present water, supplies are barely adequate in most municipalities, and ir, many, of very poor quality, The region hat, an excellent year "rotrnd climate, favorable trans- .° easri i portation facilities and an ample labor supply, It abounds in nat'ur =,1 (esaWC 3 ';last co-11 1r r�c,`ii wine_ryl -s. luvnber ar }d agricultural product A,ny turthei development C)i tho Arkansas Vall.oy is contincient upon securing a de-peo able f?tf1' slrpp!° w t r supple that aY, <,"n C(Jr�lt from the cori5pletion of the F 'V� )gpan- Ail ansar: pro'ecc.