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. and state park are also easily accessible from U.S. Highway 550, the major north-south highway in western Colorado. .. Within the Uncompahgre Valley, a significant portion of the total lands are privately owned and used for agriculture and livestock. Small grains, alfalfa, and pasture are the principal crops, with alfalfa and pasture produced on more than 70 percent of the irrigated land within the flood plain. A few cash crops are grown; but most are marketed as livestock and animal products. Grazing by cattle and sheep, the main livestock in the state, is allowed . . Under the no-action alternative, land use patterns are not expected to change significantly because future development has been limited, since there are minimal services in the project area, and the existing large parcels are assumed to continue in public or agricultural use with no indication that the property owners will convert the land to other purposes. The provision of flood control to the project area would not increase urbanization or alter existing land use patterns because of the same limitations described earlier. No mitigation would be required with the adoption and implementation of the flood control operations as described in the water control manual because there are no significant impacts to land use. . . 4.6 Socioeconomics. The economy of the region is largely fonned by ranching, agriculture, mineral development, and tourism. A number of manufacturing firms are also established in the area. Beef cattle and sheep are the major agricultural . enterprises. Mining of gold, silver, lead, and zinc is an important source of income in the upper Uncompahgre Valley. Mining activity was on a decline until the prices of these metals increased, so it was economically feasible to increase production levels; however, production has not returned to the high levels of earlier times, . . Recreation and tourism are other increasingly important industries of the area. People are attracted to the area because of the streams, lakes, and scenic beauty of the San Juan Mountains. . Under no-action alternative, no significant effects on the socioeconomics of the area are anticipated. There would be some socioeconomic effects when flood levels exceed 2,000 cfs during major flood events. Flooding could potentially cailse banks to erode, possibly causing damage to crops and pastures and resulting in economic loss. . In using the water control diagram, there would be no significant effects on the socioeconomics of the area. It is anticipated that the economy of the San Juan Basin, including the Ridgway area, will continue to grow with or without adoption of the water control manual. The development of these resources and increases. in irrigation and recreation activities would continue to accelerate the population and economic growth of the local counties. However, since its remote geographic location places it. . 12 .