FLOOD03765 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

SOIL SURVEY OF OTERO COUNTY, COLORADO BY ROY J, LARSEN, DOOALD R. MARTIN, AND M. BRUCE McCULLOUGH, SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE ~ ASSISTED BY RONALD F. BAUER, C. RONALD ARMSTRONG, OlARLES D. OlRISTOPH, AND RI()IARD A, llICM'SON, U.S. FOREST SERVICE l~ UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTIJRE, SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE AND FOREST SERVICE, IN COOPERATION WIm COLORADO AGRICULTIJRAL ElU'ERIMENT STATION arERO COUNTY is in southeastern Colorado (fig. 1). Its total land area is 810,880 acres or about 1,267 .S..te!\.ariellltutwlE.po.........s..,.... Figure l.--Location of Otero County in Colorado. . ~ square miles. The estimated 1964 population was 24,600. The county is characterized by a semiarid climate, a 160-day frost-free growing season, a 10- to 14-inch average yearly rainfall, and alti~ tudes of 3,965 to 5,150 feet, The topography ranges from gently undulating plains to limestone and sandstone escat"}ll1\ents and canyons. Three rivers flow through the county; they are the Purgatoire and Apishapa. Rivers, and the Arkansas River, which is the lifeblood of the irrigated area. The county is crossed from east to west by U.S. Highway No. 50 and a branch of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The main line of the railway goes southwest from La Junta. U.S. Highway No. 350 and Colorado Highway No. 10 run southwest from La Junta. The major towns of the county are located along U.S. Highway No. 50 and near the Ar- kansas River. From east to west, they are La Junta, Swink, Rocky Ford, Vroman, Manzanola, and Fowler. La Junta, the largest town, is the county seat. The economy of the county is based almost entire- ly on ranching, farming, and related businesses. The county contains 79,500 acres of irrigated farmland, most of which lies in the Arkansas River valley. The major source of irrigation water is the Arkansas River. Irrigation water is in short supply. The irrigated crops grown are feed and forage crops, cereal crops, vegetable crops, and sugar beets. Vegetable crop seed is processed and distri- buted worldwide by local seed firms. The most widely known product is the seed for the Rocky Ford melon. The Arkansas Valley Branch of the Colorado State Experiment Station is located at Rocky Ford; this station, in operation continuously since 1888, does development work on irrigated crops. The American Crystal Sugar Company has its sugar beet research station at Rocky Ford. 162,000 of the rangeland part of the county is in the Comanche National Grassland. This grassland is managed by the Forest Service, and grazing privileges are leased to ranchers who have adjacent holdings. 1