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D01223 . CHAPTER II RESOURCES AND USES Agricultural Land Use Initial settlement of the Uncompahgre Valley and the later devel- opment of the Uncompahgre Project produced a great change in the valley and to a lesser extent the areas surrounding the valley. The large, sage-covered mesas bordering the slopes of the Uncompahgre Plateau and the smaller strips of arable lands along the eastern side of the valley were converted into a complex of farma whose operators met with varying success. Application of irrigation water resulted in good crop yields on more fertile lands but also resulted in some disappointments and failures particularly in areas where soils were shallow, heavy and highly saline. Irrigation also caused drainage problems in many areas and resulted in construction of land drainage facUities. . Initially the project irrigated lands were devoted primarily to the production of livestock feeds that were utilized in conjunction with adjacent summer range on public lands to support the basic live- stock economy. Throughout the history of the project, there has been a definite and continuing trend toward more intensive use of the lands with increased acreages being used to produce crops that result in greater economic returns. During the 1957-1969 period, there has been up to 361 percent acreage increases in such crops as sugar beets, onion, malting barley and fruit, with as much as 46 percent decreases in feed grains and forage c~ops. Increased use of farm machinery and the reduced. availability of public lands for livestock grazing have contributed to this trend. The trend has been accompanied by more specialization on individual farms in type of crops grown, with a corresponding decrease in the number of farm operators that maintain small numbers of dairy cows, poultry and hogs for family use. From 1909, the year of the first crop report, through 1970 the value of crops produced on lands served by the Uncompahgre Project has amounted to $215 million. The graph on the following page illustrates the change in gross crop value. It shows a linear trend through 1944 and actual report Ad valuAs from 1945-1970. There has been little change in the average size of farms that are operated as full-time units by the owners or operators. However, many persons employed in the neighboring cities and towns reside in semi-rural aress and own small acreages used for production of pasture, vegetables and fruit. In general, these areas are in the vicinity of the towns, particularly east of Delta and west of Montrose. . 26