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<br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />2.0. <br /> <br />The De\'c1npmelll of J"'eHern Irrigafelf AgriclI/lllre. A Brief O,'en';(')I'. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Thl' history of '\'l'~t{'rn irrigatc.'d ~Igriculturc is a stor:" of private and public welor <br />enterprise. I 11 it i:.1lIy. only limited pri\-atc sector irrigation dncloPIlH.'nt occurred <br />throughout the \\'('stern sl:\h.'s, as scttlers ll1ll\l'd across till' Creal Plains and entercd the <br />Far \\"l'sl n'ginll IH.'ar tlH' d:l\\1I of thl' f\H'lItit,th ("(.'Illlll>. '\hH:h of Ihl' cold\' irrigated <br />.. " <br />:lgricu!turc was dcnlopcd in nah. Colorado. California. and :\c\\ ~lcxico with Illodest <br />(h'nlopllIcnt occurring in hl:lho. Oregon. and Washington. as well as other states. This <br />dcnlopmellt d('pcndt-'d on private l'apital and the :l\"ailahility of inexpl'nsin.' water projects. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />With the p:lssagc of the Reclamation Act of 1902. irrig:lh'd a~ricullure reccin'd a <br />suhstantial hoost. :\Iajllr irrigation projl'l'tsnoften in comhination with multipurpose <br />dCH'lopments for hytlrol'l('ctric pmnT. tlood control. municipal needs. and <br />,'cerc:ltiOI1--n'('ein'd III(' financial hal'king of thc federal gu\"ernm('nl. For irrigators. <br />genl'rally this lI1l'ant low.co...t and int('rt.'st fn'l' lo:.ms "ilh long-term pa:\'hack ohligations, <br />As :1 result of feder:.11 polil'Y. m:lny new irrigation projtcts 'H're completcd hoth prior to <br />and :'lfter World \V:lr II. The U.S, Bureau of Rl'c1amation (lJSBR) be('anlt the f('dentI <br />operatnr of lIIore thall 100 irrigation and multipurpose projects throughout the \\'l'st. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Irrig:lIion dcnlopll1cnt peaked hy the late 1970s. with ..hout 38 million :'len's heing <br />put into production. This included harn'stl'd crop lands :.uHI gr:.uing I:mds. Of this <br />OIcrcage. ahout 10 million aercs came :thout through lJSfiR h:'leking. with the ,'emaining <br />land heing \latered through pri\"ate irrigation companies. st:.lte dcnlopment, ami <br />indi,"idual farm operations. During the late 1980s and early 1990s. some amount of <br />addition:.ll pri\"ate irrigation dcvelopment occurred, as market demand and commodity <br />prices increased and as irrigators put more acreage intn the production of high.\":.llue <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />crops. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />2./. <br /> <br />Irrigated ,-tgriclIlllIre Today, <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Today. U.S. irrigated :I~riculture is becoming one of the most tcchnic:'llIy <br />sophisticated industries in the World. Some of the most efficient examples of water <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Economic5 8enefit ReWelD/Pege-. <br /> <br />I <br />