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<br /> <br />12 <br /> <br /> <br />constituted 9S percent of the harvested acreage of Rio Blanco <br />y <br />County. In recent years the production of high quality alfalfa <br /> <br />seed is becoming an important part of the farming operations. The <br /> <br />remainder of the basin was utilized as pasture or range lands. All <br /> <br />the Lower ~mite River Basin.is within Grazing District No.1 and all <br /> <br />public lands of the area are administered.by the Division of Graz- <br /> <br /> <br />ing, U. S. Department of Interior. Livestock, mainly sheep and some <br /> <br />cattle, are grazed on the open ranges during the summer season and <br /> <br />are pastured and fed on the meadows along the river for the remain- <br /> <br />der of the year. <br /> <br />i' <br />~. <br /> <br />Maladjustments in Water and Land Use <br /> <br />The misuse of water in the Lower 1mi te River Basin, as in <br /> <br />, <br />many other intermountain valleys using gravity diversion systems, <br /> <br />is largely a matter of diverting and applying too much water. Water <br /> <br />is diverted continuously throughout the irrigation season. In most <br /> <br />instances a large head of water, with a small amount of attention, <br /> <br />is used to irrigate, when, by the use of a smaller head of water <br /> <br />adequately and evenly distributed, increased crop yields could be <br /> <br />obtained. A small head of water carefully attended v,i11 reduce the <br /> <br />vffiste of water, assist in eliminating or reducing soil erosion, and <br /> <br />.lessen the danger of seepage and occasional "alkali" spots which <br /> <br /> <br />occur under the present gravity diversion practices. <br /> <br />y <br /> <br />- <br />Tables presented in Appendix No. S, "Statist.ics of Irrigated <br />Crops", Vol. V, a Colorado State Planning Commission report. <br /> <br />08:20 <br /> <br />