FLOOD06660

• County: Douglas
• County: El Paso
• County: Elbert
• Community: Franktown, Parker
• Stream Name: Cherry Creek Watershed
• Basin: South Platte
• Title: Franktown Parker Tributaries fo Cherry Creek Watershed
• Date: 4/1/1960
• Prepared For: State of Colorado
• Prepared By: USDA Soil Conservation Service
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

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Water Uses and Sources,- Water in adequate amounts and of
suitable quality is available for domestic and livestock uses by pumping
from wells. Surface water is used for irrigation by direct diversion
and for supplemental livestock use by storing in small ponds.

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Economic Data

A dairy and ranch type of economy
With the exception of wheat, all crops
the watershed, The principal land use
percentage of each is as follows:

prevails in the watershed.
produced are normally fed in
in the floodplain and the

Land Use
Meadow Hay
Pasture
Cropland
Total

Per Cent
50
12
38
100

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Alluvial valleys make up six per cent of the watershed area.
These valleys constitute the economic heart of the farms and ranches,
since they produce most of the feed and forage necessary to carry
the livestock through the non-grazing months and through limited
drought periods, The rapid encroachment of gullies into these areas
is lowering the water table and significantly reducing the yields
of hay, pasture, and cultivated crops, Unabated encroachment of these
gullies will eventually result in virtually complete loss of production
in these key areas. Results of studies in similar areas show that the
loss of production of feed and forage in these valleys would reduce
operations of the farm and ranch units by as much as 56 per cent.

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The average size of a farm or ranch is 1,041 acres according to
the 1954 census for Douglas County. The proportion of tenancy is
12.6 per cent. The average land value per acre (land and buildings)
and size of farms according to the census has steadily risen since
1940 as shown in the following tabulation:

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Size , .'
Value of of
Year Land and Buildings Farms
(Per Acre) (Acres)
1940 $ 13.22 876
1950 1I 32,04 871
1954 $ 46.26 1,041

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There are no large towns or railroads in the watershed. The
watershed is adequately served by: Colorado State Highw~ys Nos. 50,
83, 86, 212, 214, and 216; the Douglas and El Paso County Line Road;
and a system of county and township roads.