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<br />.. <br />, <br /> <br />001868 <br /> <br />-4- <br /> <br />the inventory is provided work on the drainage system, together with work on the <br />canal alignment would emplw such equipment the year round. From t.he nature of <br />the work to be done it would not make attractive contracts, nor Ball for perform- <br />ance all at once. However, due to the neglect of such work enforced by the war, <br />and the fact that much of it can properly be classed as betterment The District <br />will not able to do it from revenue nor to equip itself for such work. <br /> <br />Trend of Development <br /> <br />It has already been mentioned that about 1,000 acres remains to be irriga- <br />ted and that this will create a demand for water that will heavily tax the pump- <br />ing plant. One cause of the present growth in use has been a radical change in <br />the type of crops in the area outside the peach belt. Formerly grain and rough <br />crops were predominant but in the last few years, the excellent soil available <br />has led to a rapid growth in area of market garden and canners crops, which take <br />more water. At the extreme lower end of the project area, immediately across <br />ColoradO river from Grand Junction several square miles of land are being forced <br />into sub-urban development. Experience with such of this development as has taken <br />place shows that in the agregate the demand for water on these small hone-garden <br />tracts is much greater than when these lands were cultivated as fanus. <br /> <br />These things point up strongly the necessity to get the greatest output pos- <br />sible from the pumping plant and the most economical distribution of water. The <br />decrees of the Orchard Mesa District from Colorado river, a total of 450 second- <br />feet can probably be made to cover the requirement, but an attempt to enlarge <br />diversion from the river would result in decrees so much junoir to other uses <br />as probably to call for storage. Under these circumstances and because the en- <br />largement of the existing plant does not seem feasible, it is felt that mueh <br />study is justified to promote such investment as will secure the maximum return <br />in water from the present facilities. <br />