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<br />. . <br /> <br />First, the Bureau's e~;;tifll,J.t~ of 7~J':"'30 acre-fee.t o[ T,....:1tc.r i.s judged to be <br /> <br />rather low, especially from ~ re~ional ~=rspective. Using a range of 100,000 to <br /> <br />130,000 acre-feet of water (regional per,?ective) would result in substantially <br /> <br />higher estimates of gross sale.s in the F:-aject service area, while the estimate of <br /> <br />$11.5 million would remain constant. <br /> <br />Secondly, the Regional Landowners Group estimate is based upon current prices <br /> <br />and current crop yields, whereas the Burc~u's estimate is based upon normalized <br /> <br />prices (significantly lower th2n current "rices) and projected yields (somewhat <br /> <br />higher than current yields). These difierences make meaningful comparisons difficult. <br /> <br />Thirdly, comparing these 0.-0 figures ~ight suggest that the benefit-cost <br /> <br />situation is basically IIlosing" $11.5 mi~lion in order to "gain" $17.0 million. <br /> <br />This does not withstand the test of scru:iny. An examination of the detailed <br /> <br />cropping patterns compiled by the Region~l'Landowners Group should convince anybody <br /> <br />that the agricultural production in the cake area depends squarely upon irrigation <br /> <br />water. Hence the critical q~estion is, ~~~t hap~ens to ~ irrigation water used <br /> <br />~ generate this S11.5 million in agricu:~ural production in the take area once <br /> <br />Narrows Da~ is built? Essentially, there are four possibilities: <br /> <br />1. The water is not acquired by the Bureau, but is transferred out of <br /> <br />the take area and used for other purposes, primarily if not exclusively <br /> <br />for agriculture. It is our uncecstanding that a significant portion of <br /> <br />the shares in che Weldon Valley ditch have already been so transferred. <br /> <br />The water is acquired with the land ?urchased by the Bureau, and is: <br /> <br />2. used for agricultural crops ins~ie the take area, under a sharecropping <br /> <br />arrangement; <br /> <br />3. added to the amount of project ,~ter available for sale to irrigators in <br /> <br />the project service area; <br /> <br />4. used for non-agricultural purpc~=s, such as meeting the water consumption <br /> <br />needs of the visitors to the recreation areas, etc. <br />