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<br />. <br /> <br />2349 <br /> <br />PROJECT SETTING <br /> <br />Location <br />The Colorado River Indian Reservation lies in the Colorado River <br />Valley with its northern end near Parker, Arizona, as shown on Map <br />No. 1244-300-120. The Reservation contains approximately 268,850 <br />acres--225,914 in Arizona and 43,936 in California. Most of the land <br />is on the historical flood plain of the Colorado River, but some is <br />located on benches on each side of the flood plain. The irrigated <br />area under consideration in this report is entirely in Arizona and <br />extends south from Parker approximately 35 miles along the river. <br />The Colorado River flood plain consists of relatively flat river <br />bottom land with soils deposited by flooding of the Colorado River <br />prior to construction of upstream dams. The flood plain on the <br />Arizona side varies in width from 1 to 9 miles. It is bounded on the <br />east by a bench lying from 40 to 100 feet higher than the flood plain <br />and on the west by the river. The flood plain has a slope of approx- <br />imately 2\ feet per mile to the south along the river. Its center is <br />several feet lower than its edges, and surface drainage has histor- <br />ically meandered southward. <br />The climate of the project area is typical of the southwestern <br />desert region of the United States, with abundant sunshine and low <br />precipitation. The summers are long and hot and the winters are <br />short and mild. Precipitation averages about 4 inches per year, most <br />of which occurs during thunderstorms in summer months. The weath- <br />er is conducive to year round agricultural production. <br />The population on the Reservation lands is estimated at 9,767. <br />This estimate includes 1,767 Indians, most of whom belong to the <br />Mojave Tribe with the rest members of the Chemehuevi, Navajo, and <br />Hopi Tribes. An estimated 8,000 non-Indians reside on the <br />Reservation, principally in the town of Parker ap.d along the river <br />upstream from Parker. Most of the town of Parker is in private, <br />non - Indian ownership. <br />The land on the Reservation is held in trust by the United <br />States for the Colorado River Indian Tribes. Approximately 98 per- <br />cent of the land is held in communal ownership under the jurisdiction <br />5 <br />