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PAONIA PROJECT, COLORADO 15 surface soil or on the surface, an investment of $20 to $30 per acre or the equivalent in farmers' time for clearing rock will be necessary before cultivation can be undertaken. The residual soils occur in scattered tracts throughout the area where shale and sandstone undElrlie the soils and comprise the parent materials. They are gray to reddish-brown clay loams and clays having moderate productive capacity. This type of soil comprises 'less than 10 percent of the project lands. The soils are relatively free from harmful accumulations of soluble salts and are not highly alkaline. A few tracts of saline soils occur in residual shale areas, or on low-lying tracts where soluble salts have accumulated through seepage from shale areas. Topography and drainage The land surface is generally smooth to gently and moderately sloping, very favorable for irrigation. Except for the removal of rock in some areas, the amount of leveling or preparation needed for irrigation farming will be small. Soils and topographic conditions are conducive to adequate drainage under irrigation for most of the lands. Minor problems of seepage, high water table, and unfavorable drainage in low-lying tracts and interridge swales, may occur though not extensively. Land classification The lands were classified according to their suitability for irrigation farming, with due regard to the factors of soil, topography, and drainage, and were placed in three groups. Lands now irrigated were classified as irrigated even though the water supply may have been inadequate for an extended period of time. The most suitable nonirrigated lands or lands having the greatest potential productivity were listed as class 1. The nonirrigated lands with slightly less desirable characteristic.s, being inferior. to class 1 lands in soil depth and texture, topography or drainage, were listed as class 2. (See land classification map in appendix B.) 1 Acreage . . . Of the 8,642 acres of arable land located under. the Fire Mountain canal, 7,940 were classified as irrigated and 702 were grouped in class 1 or class 2 nonirrigated. A total of 10,010 acres is in the Leroux Oreek area above the Fire Mountain canal and includes 4,807 acres irrigated and 5,203 acres class 1 and class 2 nonirrigated. All irrigable land under the Fire Mountain canal and 6,114 acres of Leroux Oreek land above this canal will be served by the project. No attempt has been made to designate the particular tracts of the arable new land to be served by the transfer of diversions from Leroux Oreek. Actual tracts to be served will be determined by the Leroux Oreek water users participating in the project. WATER SUPPLY Irrigation requirements The water requirements of project lands has been determined from a study of temperature records and from records of water use on a number of reclamation projects with similar soils and climatic condi- 'Not prInted.