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Watershed Resources Soil, Water and Plant Management Status It is expected that land use in the watershed will remain in agricul- tural uses wit.h most of the farms and ranches being owner-operated. The land treatment program in both states is making satisfactory progress toward meeting installation needs of the watershed for land, soil and water con~ervation measures. Most of the lands in agricultural production that are subject to flood- ing have been ~proved and managed to provide best use of the land for production, leveled and shaped to minimize damage from flooding. . None of these are considered marginal. Approximately 25 percent of the committed factors for production are used on these lands. High water tables in the South Platte River flood plain would not bene~ fit from drainage without channel ization of the river. landowners are doing more smoothing and planting to adaptive grasses to provide best. forage for livestock on these areas. The project area is served by the Sedgwick County Soil Conservation District in Colorado and the South Platte Natural Resources District .-wh-tch-com~r+ses-*tmbaH.-theyenne'-and--getle.l-eount.ies'-tn-Nebraska-;--'ffle- . Soil Conservation Service provides technical assistance to these dis- tricts. These districts are stressing the importance of watershed land treatment and have been active in watershed planning. They have pro- moted I and and water. resource conservat ion programs wi th school s, scout- ing and 4-H groups in and near the watershed. Representatives of each district are becoming involved in land use development planning with the county commissioners and town councils. There are 157 cooperators receiVing assistance through the districts; 153 have basic plans. About 88 percent of the watershed is covered by agreements. An estimated 45 percent of the total land treatment needs have been applied to date with an estimated 24 perc~.t of the irrigated cropland, 40 percent of the nonirrigated cropland, and 62 percent of the rangeland having adequate treatment. Financial assistance has been provided the landowners through utiliza- tion of Rural Environmental Assistance Program, Great Plains Conserva- tion Program and Farmers Home Administration funds. '! The few acres of woodland serve a beneficial function in watershed use. These stands should be retained and augmented with additional tree 16