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<br />, Problems <br /> <br />With continuing good economic conditions, the landowners and operators <br />will have financial abil'ity to install needed proJect land treatment <br />measures. <br /> <br />Fires destroy gras's and 'tree cover needed for watershed protection. The <br />watershed is protected by rural fire districts developed through the <br />'efforts of the Col.orado State rorester and the Nebraska State Extension <br />Forester, cooperating with the U.S. Forest Service, through the going <br />Cooperat ive Fi re Co'ntrol Program. Adequate watershed fi re' protection <br />can be achieved in 'Nebraska through th'is program without program accel- <br />eration. In Colorado; accelerated P.L. 566 technical assistance to the <br />Sedgwick and Ovid Volunteer Fire Departments will be needed to help meet <br />state fire ,loss goals and improve their capability to respond to emer-' <br />gencies. Three additional vehicles 'and better facilities to house <br />equipment are needed ,to provide the desired level of fire protection. <br /> <br />Floodwater Damage <br /> <br />High i ntens i ty ra i nfa II produces runo(f on the upper part of the water- <br />shed. In the middle and lower portion of the watershed, irrigation <br />canals, irrigated farms, county, state and federal roads and the Union <br />Pacific Railroad have been constructed across the drainages. <br /> <br />In the upland areas of Colorado and Nebraska, little damage occurs to <br />,the -I"aJigeland,. ,-lhere is ,some damage-to -tl1e wl1eaUaAd,.from-sh~t-and <br />rill erosion. Type and extent of damage depends on time of flooding as <br />most of the wheat crop Is harvested by the middle of July allowing high <br />losses by lodging and/or washing out of plants by storms in May, June <br />and July. <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />The Highl ine Canal and its lateral and, to a lesser extent, the 'p'etersen <br />and Settlers Ditches all intercept floodwater and sediment' flows origina- <br />ting on the lands above each.' Floodwater overtops the canal ,bahks with <br />frequent b'reach i ngwh i ch causesi nterrupt ion of water de(i very ,to Colorado <br />an,d Nebraska crops. Breaching.of a canal causes more damage ,to the " <br />cropland and crops than overtopping because of theconcentr'ationand: <br />i'ncrease of amount and velocity of flow as the breach deepens and starts <br />draining the canal. ' <br /> <br />The follo~ing photographs show examples of crops that have been washed <br />out 'by rilling and eroding of land from excess concentration of flows, <br />or covered by sediment on the gentler slopes. <br /> <br />19 <br />