PROJ00149

• Contract/PO #: FS0033X
• Contractor Name: Fruitland Mesa Project 1960
• Contract Type: Miscellaneous
• Water District: 0
• County: Gunnison
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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CHAPI'ER 1

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

The West Elk Mountains, source of the project water supply, receive
sufficient precipitation to sustain heavy growths of vegetation. Winter
precipitation in the mountains occurs as snolr which melts principally in
the months of May and June.

No weather records have been obtained within the project irrigable
area but records from the Crawford station located immediately to the
north and from the Montrose station located about 15 miles southwest of
the area provide a reliable indication of the climatic conditions. The
precipitation on the project lands is estimated to average about 10 inches
annually which is adequate to support only light growths of hardy native
grasses, bushes, and trees. Dry farming has been attempted in the area
but has proved unsuccessful because of inadequate rainfalL The 135-day
average frost-free period is suffi cient for the production of general farm
crops but is too short to mature most 1'ruit and truclt crops. Temperature
extremes as recorded at Crawford are 930 and -250. Pertinent climatolog-
ical data from the Crauford and Montrose weather stations are shmm in the
follmring table.

Montrose station l'
. Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg.
max. Avg. min. Avg. max. Avg. min. Avg.
temp. temp. temp. precip. temp. tem:p. temp. p:eCiy
Month OF. (OF. OF. in. ) OF. OF. OF. ~n.
Jan. 0.1 25. 10. 0.77 37.1 2 .0 12.9 .56
Feb. 39.4 26.9 14.4 .51 43.2 3L2 19.5 .59
Mar. 48.0 35.2 22.3 .55 52.5 39.1 26.7 .64
Apr. 56.8 42.9 29.0 .87 62.4 48.9 34.2 1.01
May 66.2 52.0 37.1 .89 12.1 57.5 43.2 .71
June 77.2 61.9 46.6 .81 83.1 66.9 49.2 .50
July 82.0 67.8 53.6 L25 88.5 73.3 55.2 .72
Aug. 80.1 65.9 51.7 1.20 85.5 70.7 53.3 1.24
Sept. 73.4 58.4 43.3 L16 78.2 63.3 45.6 1.02
Oct. 62.8 48.2 33.5 1.11 65.6 51.6 34.8 .87
Nov. 51. 5 37.2 22.9 .87 50.2 37.0 23.3 .59
Dec. 38.3 25.4 12.4 .91 39.0 28.6 15.0 .57
Annual ~~.6 !>5.6 31. 5 10. eo 63.1 49.5 34.4 9.0b
Y 1 5-1957.
Population and Trade Centers
Only about 200 people, nearly all of whom are engaged in farming or
ranChing, live in the project area. The population gradually increased
from initial settlement in 1880 until it reached about 300 in 1920. The
decrease since 1920 has been due to the trend toward larger farm units,
. the use of modern labor-saving farm e<J.uipment, and to drouth conditions
that prevailed generally from 1931 to 19~0 and since 1950.
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