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<br />PURGATOIRE (PICKET WIRE) RIVER, COLO.
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<br />11
<br />
<br />TABLE No.6.-Population of principal com.~unitie8 in the Purgatoire watershed
<br />
<br />Community
<br />
<br />.Miles above Population
<br />, " h f United
<br />luout 0 States
<br />river census 1940
<br />
<br />Community
<br />
<br />Miles above Population
<br />mouth of United
<br />river ce:s:~940
<br />
<br />Wostou______________HHHH_
<br />Sogundo____________H_H_H_
<br />Valdez__.__u__n________
<br />Bon CMbo_nhhun____
<br />Cokedale.__________H_H___
<br />Morloy______H___________~
<br />Sopris._________H...______
<br />.Starkvillo, North. ____n__
<br />
<br />180
<br />172
<br />I7l
<br />.171
<br />186
<br />162
<br />162
<br />160
<br />
<br />642
<br />1,031
<br />928
<br />3U
<br />864
<br />'44
<br />1,175
<br />"5
<br />
<br />StarkVllIe, South_H_h'___
<br />Trinidad. ____H_____._____
<br />EI Moron___n_n_unn_
<br />Garcia., North____________
<br />Garcla, South._HuH_____
<br />Roehne_________________h
<br />ModeL_______________n__
<br />
<br />160
<br />157
<br />162
<br />149
<br />149
<br />144
<br />137
<br />
<br />441
<br />13,223
<br />'60
<br />843
<br />628
<br />'OIl
<br />410
<br />
<br />,
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />15. Natural resource8.-00al is the principal mineral resource of
<br />the basin, and it is mined at varioua locations west of Trinidad. The
<br />, 'potential coal still available in the area has been estimated by the
<br />,Colorado State Geological Survey to be 24,000,000,000 tons. Other
<br />nonmetallic minerals, found to a limited extent in the west,ern portion
<br />of the watershed, are fire clay, granite, limestone, sandstone, and
<br />graphite. Natural gas is found east of Trinidad near Garcia, Colo.
<br />(mile 149), where thero is also a natural gasoline recovery plant.
<br />Helium gas was developed and refined for commercial purposes on the
<br />Model Dome (mile 97) in the north central part of the basin near
<br />Thatcher, Colo., for several years. The United States acquired the
<br />Model field and refinery in 1937. There is a limited amount of
<br />merchantable timber in the mountainous sections of the headwaters.
<br />16. Agriculture.-In the portion of the valley under consideration,
<br />the majority of the a~ricultural improvements are located in the
<br />areas where irrigation nas been possible. Dry,farming areas repre-
<br />sent less than r percent of the agricultural ,developments. The aver-
<br />age annual value of the crops III the flood plain is about $48,300.
<br />The principal crops in the Older of their importance are sugar beets,
<br />tame hay, corn, beans, and small grains. A large part of the produce
<br />is used locally as winter feed for cattle and sheep. 'The distribution,
<br />yield, and yalue of the crops are given in table No.5, appendix C.l
<br />17. Irrigated lands.-The irrigated acreage in the basin, most of
<br />which is located outside the flood plain, lies mainly in two large areas
<br />between Trinidad and the head of the canyon section; namely, the
<br />Sunflower Valley area" and th,e area served by the Model Land &
<br />Irrigation Co, The ditches serving these areas are owned by oper-
<br />ating stock companies, with water attaching to the ,stock shares, and
<br />most of the shares are owned by the irrigators, ' The Sunflower Valley
<br />area is served by a ,ditch, water to which is diverte~ from the ~ive~ by
<br />the Baca Dam (mIle 156.4), the enlarged south SIde (PulaskI) dItch
<br />(mile 153.4), and other smaller ditches. The Model Land & liTigation
<br />Co. maintains a ditch and reservoir'system which was originally
<br />designed to irrigate approximately 20,000 acres of land. The res-
<br />erVOIr, with a present capacity of about 15,000 acre,feet, is located
<br />on the drainage area of Chicosa Creek which enters Purgatoire ,River
<br />at about mile 140. Water is diverted into the reservoir by the
<br />Model Dam, allow dam in the river at mile 151.9. Because of other
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<br />I Not printed.
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<br />94673-44-3
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