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<br />001110 <br /> <br />Draft - 9/31 <br /> <br />Tables 3 through 8 contain estimates of equivalent full <br /> <br />irrigation that could result under both the "likely" scenario <br /> <br />presented in Chapter 5 and the "high" scenario presented here. A <br /> <br />land use pattern for potential agriculture is shown for each re- <br /> <br />gIon. <br /> <br />In most cases, the future pattern is assumed to be simIlar <br />. <br /> <br />to the present pattern. In general, however, production of food <br /> <br />and feed grains wiil increase in areas where they are adaptable. <br /> <br />Forages, particularly alfalfa hay, are assumed to remain strong <br /> <br />competitors for land use. Sugar beets are assumed to have lim- <br /> <br />ited markets and are not expanded in proportion to increases in <br /> <br />irrigated land. Tree fruits are considered to be generally <br /> <br />unadaptable to most lands to be brought into production. <br /> <br />Coefficients of water depletion per acre for each crop are <br /> <br />I <br />~ <br /> <br />shown in Tables 3 through 8. A weighted average (wt. av.) of the <br /> <br />coefficients based on existing land use patterns was calculated. <br /> <br />The acreage of new development for each crop was found by divid- <br /> <br />ing the available water by the weighted average and multiplying <br /> <br />by the acreage percentage projected for expansion. <br /> <br />The figures for "equivalent full irrigation" given in Tables <br /> <br />3 through 8 are useful in projecting limits for theoretic~l agri- <br /> <br />cultural expansion. However, individual farmers will decide <br /> <br />whether to use any additional water to supplement irrigation of <br /> <br />existing fields or to put new fields into irrigated production. <br /> <br />This decision will be based on a number of variables, including <br /> <br />whether or not the farmer possesses additional land that could be <br /> <br />irrigated. A brief dIscussIon of expansion possibilities in <br /> <br />indIvidual regions follows. <br /> <br />5 <br />