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001199 . CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The project irrigation water supply is obtained by diversions of natural flows of the Gunnison and Uncompahgre Rivers and storage re- leases from Taylor Park Reservoir located high in the Gunnison River Basin some 70 miles east of the project lands. Reservoirs of the Curecanti Unit of the Colorado River Storage Project located in the intervening reach of the Gunnison River between Taylor Park Reservoir and the project irrigated area are not directly associated with the Uncompahgre Project but do provide additional regulation of Gunnison River flows. Flows of several small tributaries that join the Uncom- pahgre River in the project service area are also utilized to provide part of the irrigation water supply. Irrigated lands of the project are situated in a broad valley along the lower reaches of the Uncompahgre River between the Uncom- pahgre Plateau to the southwest and the Black Canyon uplift on the northeast. The northern boundary of the project irrigated lands is formed by the Gunnison River, which after being joined by the Uncom- pahgre River at Delta, Colorado, flows northwesterly to its confluence with the Colorado River at Grand Junction, Colorado. . Project lands range in elevation from 4,950 feet near Delta to 6,400 feet near Montrose, Colorado. Principal crops grown in the area include sugar beets, beans, onions, small grains, alfalfa, corn, pasture grasses and several varieties of fruit and berries. The average farm size is about 100 acres and the farms are mostly owner- operated. Cities and towns in the area include Montrose, Delta, and Olathe with respective 1970 populations of about 6,500, 3,700, and 750. The 1970 rural population of the project irrigated area is estimated at 7,000. U. S. Highway 50 extends through Grand Junction, Delta, Olathe, Montrose and Gunnison and is the principal automotive transportation route of the area. lt is joined from the south at Montrose by U. S. Highway 550 and at Grand Junction by east-west routes including lnter- state Highway 70 and U. S. Highway 6. A branch of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad extends from Grand Junction through Delta, Olathe and Montrose. Grand Junction and Montrose have modern airports served by commercial airlines. Early Settlement of the Region . The general region was inhabitated by the Ute Indians prior to opening of the area to white settlers in the late l800s. Princlpal impetus for the initial settlement activities was supplied by the discovery of metallic minerals in mountainous areas near the Continen- tal Divide. The towns of Ouray, Silverton, Telluride, Lake City and Gunnison sprang up quickly and railroads were constructed into the area in support of the mining operations. The mining industry flourished for a time but by about 1900 many of the richer mineral deposits were 2