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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I CHAPTER V II PROJECT EVALUATION As previously noted, storage in Ish Reservoir will be restricted by the Office of the State Engineer if a toe drain is not installed adjacent to the north dam. A storage restriction would result in the loss of up to 4500 acre- feet of water (the capacity owned by Ish Reservoir Company or New Ish stockholders) to farmers within the service area. This water is not the only source of irrigation supply for these farmers, but is a supplemental supply which allows growing of higher income producing crops such as corn and sugar beets compared with grains such as wheat and barley. If the required improve- ments are not made, the farmers will suffer a reduction in income. In very general terms, the income reduction is estimated as follows: 15,500 total acres -300 small acreages that do not grow crops 15,200 acres used for agricultural production Assume cropping patterns are similar to those noted in the St. Vrain Basin Reconnaissance Study published by the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority, i.e. 50 percent alfalfa hay, 25 percent corn, and 25 percent other crops - predominantly grain. Applying these percentages to the 15,200 acres results in the following: Alfalfa Hay Corn Grain = 7600 acres = 3800 acres = 3800 acres Yields are estimated by using an average of the production capabilities of the major soils types identified by the Soil Conservation Service as comprising the service area: Soil Yields/acre of irrigated crop Alfalfa Corn Grain 5.5 tons 150 bu. 76* 5.5 160 76* 5.5 160 76* 5.5 157 76 42 Nunn 79 Weld 82 Wiley Average *This information not available through SCS study. Weld cour:ty ASCS office uses the following averages for irrigated grains: wheat - 65 bu; barley - 86 bu; average = 76 bu. J , -22L _ . .