WSPC06979

• File Number: 8064.100
• Description: Ute Tribes
• State: CO
• Basin: San Juan/Dolores
• Water Division: 7
• Date: 6/1/1987
• Author: CO Dept of Law
• Title: Agricultural Engineering Study - Piedra Watershed - Final Report - Design-Cost Estimate for Off-Farm Irrigation Facilities and PIA Determination
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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1240

FINAL REPORT
PIEDRA WATERSHED

0.1 GENERAL
The purpose of this task report is to present the methodology for
determining practicably irrigable acreage (PIA) for the Piedra
Watershed. The test for PIA requires that t,he revenues exceed the
cost. The land under consideration when cropped and irrigated must
return sufficient net positive income to pay for the costs of
providing irrigation water to the farm headgate. In order to
determine PIA it is necessary to conceptually design an irrigation
transmission system to deliver water to the farm headgate for each

arable parcel. The annualized cost of the off-farm irrigation water

transmission system is compared to the net positive income (payment

capacity) of the parcel.

Arable lands were identified by Stoneman and Landers. Potential
crops, irrigation water requirements, on-farm irrigation systems

cost, and other related agronomic information were prepared by Boyle

and presented in Task A and B reports. Economic methodology and net
agricultural returns were prepared by Western Research Corporation.

This preliminary PIA analysis compares the preliminary net

agricultural return with the cost of water delivery from the primary

water source to the parcel headgate. For this preliminary analysis,

the highest net agricultural return for each climatic zone is used.

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