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<br />.-66- <br /> <br />r <br /> <br />in non-community property states the same result ean be obtained by the <br />m,nership of 160 acres each by the husband and wife. Representatives <br />of the Bureau of Heclamation have pointed out that the law may be avoided <br />by an arrangement whereby tracts up to 160 aeres eaeh are held by ehildren, <br />other relatives, or friends. In at least one area a scheme has been de_ <br />vised whereby a corporation split up its holdings into tracts of not more <br />than 160 aeres each amang its stockholders and then taok back leases. <br />These devices are, in truth, methods of avoiding a law whieh, beeause of <br />its universality, is unworkable. <br /> <br />v':hile the land limitation prov~s~ons are part of the law of the <br />land, the Bureau of Reclamation has been loatpe to insist upon complete <br />compliance. In 1946 the Bureau published a pamphlet 'entitled "Land- <br />ownership Survey on Federal l(eclamation Projects." Therein it is con- <br />ceded that at the time of the survey 4.1 % of the acreage of "Hegular <br />Bureau Projects" constituted "known excess land in violation of acreage <br />limi tations ." <br /> <br />The difficulty which arises from an attempt to limit Colorado <br />farms to 160 acres is well illustrated by the ~reliminary report on the <br />1950 census of agriculture ~repared by the Bureau of the Census. This <br />sholls that the average size farm in Colorado contains 832.7 aores. The <br />aorF'age varies from a high of 3,733.4 aores in lHoffat Caunty to 6.9 acres <br />in the City and County of Denver. A few county figures may be signifi- <br />oant, for example: <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />Countz Average size of farm <br /> ----" <br />Alamosa . . 751.1 <br />Saguache . . 1,519.7 <br />Gunnison . . 1,321+.1 <br />Eontrose . . . . . . 432.8 <br />lLesa . . . . . . 216.3 <br />Pueblo . . 1,039.5 <br />Otero. . . . 735.5 <br />Prowers . . 887.8 <br />Larimer . . . . . . 430.0 <br />'Ield . . 493.5 <br />Jjlol'gan . . . 548.5 <br />Logan . . . . . . 751.4 <br /> <br />Although these figures are on total acreage rather than irrigable acre- <br />age, they do emphasi ze the problem which is presented. <br /> <br />At the moment the situation exifJting in the Conejos Division of <br />'the San Luis Valley Project is critioa1. The Conejos peo~le have been <br />t.rying for some fifty years to secure a storage reservoir an the Conej os <br />HiveI' which will impound the high spring flows and permit their use later <br />in the growing season. After many years of disappointment the Conej os <br />\.ater Conservancy District and the Bureau of Reclamation agreed u~on the <br />construction of the Platoro Dam an the headwaters 0.1' the Conejos. The <br />Bureau told the District that construction could not start until a repay- <br />ment contract was executed and that such contract would. have to oontain <br />the usual provisions relative to land oVlnerships in excess of 160 aores. <br /> <br />~ <br />