WSP01413 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

20 T , " . ., " PAONIA PROJECT, COLORADO the spring run-off months and periods of cloudburst storms. Im- pounded water in the reservoir will be sufficiently clear to support fish life, and by the release of relatively clear water some downstream improvement for fish life should result, The increase in irrigated area will improve environment for upland birds. Provision is made for 1,000 acre-feet of dead storage capacity in the reservoir to care for silt deposition. Future range improvement on the watershed. resulting from present controlled grazing should lessen silt flow into the reservoir. Navigation is not a problem to be considered on the North Fork River. Lands within and surrounding the reservoir basin are largely in private ownership. The watershed area is largely under the supervision of the Forest Service and the Grazing Service. No Indian lands would be affected by the project. Irrigation benefits An increase in the supply of irrigation water for the area will increase the acreage of farm land under irrigation, will increase the acreage devoted to the growing of higher value crops, and will increase the yield of the crops produced. Gross crop returns of project lands under present conditions of inadequate water supply and the returns expected from the application of project water have been estimated from a study of crop census for both the Fire Mountain and the Leroux Creek lands. These estimates on crop returns are based on average prewar prices for the locality. Postwar crop prices may be maintained at a higher level and an increase in gross crop returns in the postwar period would thus, be correspondingly higher. The, result of crop estimates is summarized in the following table: Present and anticipated crop acreages, yields, and gross values FIRE MOUNTAIN LANDS ECONOMIC ANALYSIS Present conditions Future with project water supply ~ 00 '" 00 00 '" oe 0'" -", ~ e k~ $ e ~~ .;,!l Crop "'~ .- .. - ~ "'to ;; ~ "'to ~8. .. ,.. ~ '0 00 "'o. - ~ \l .'lo. '" ~ \l -~ 0 'g - ~ .a_~ "'''' ~ '" o. "'~ ~ " o. ~.a - - ~ '" '" .~~ '" '" .~~ ~ ~ 6> '" -.; "'~ e -.; "'~ sl! - j;:; J;: j;:; J;: .El P< -----~~ ---- - - - - -- - -- -- - - Alfalfa.h....__............. Tonh~U $7.50 44 3.792 2 $6.60 45 3,8S9 2.5 $8.44 $1.34 Fruits_ ~_" ~_~._____~____ ___ ~ Pound_ _ .03 23 1,988 3,000 20. 70 Z6 2,247 3,500 27.30 6.60 Ceret]s.. ........... ....' ". BusheL _ .54 17 1,469 30 2.75 15 1,296 34 2. 75 0 Vega 8ble__~___~___~_h___. _~MdoA___ .25 2 173 300 1.50 6 519 320 4.80 3.30 Corn ensfl8gesh~___~_.__.._ Ton.____ 3.00 1 86 10 .30 3 259 13 1.17 . .87 Truck and miscellaneous____ Acre____ -~-.~- 3 259 $75 2.25 3 259 $75 2.25 0 Sugar beets_____ ~___#__N~ __~ Ton_h__ 5.00 2 173 12 1.20 2 173 14 1.40 .20 Arable land_ __~~__~ _ _~_~U_ Acre____ -~- --. 8 702 $.50 .04 0 0 $.50 0 -.04 - - - - - - - ~ - - TotaL.....__........ ---- ~----- --~~-- 100 8,642 -~ -- --- 35.34 100 8,642 -~---- 48.11 12.77 LEROUX CREEJ( LANDS Allall"--................... . TOD_____ $7.50 34 2,079 1.5 $3.83 45 2, 751 2.2 $7.42 $3.5 Fruits/,,"_#~__~ __ ____ _ _~__~ ___ Pound_ ~ .03 5 306 3,000: 4.50 8 480 3,300 7.92 3.42 Oereals~ ~ _. __ _ _ ~ .__ _ _ __ _ _ ___ 'BusheL _ .54 34 2,079 25 4.59 35 2,140 34 6.42 1.83 Foragesnd ensilage_ ___ _ ~ _ __ Ton_____ 3.00 4 244 10 1.20 7 428 13 2.73 1.53 Vegetables__ ___ ____ __ _ _ __ _ _ ~ BusheL _ .25 1 61 300 .75 2 122 320 1.60 .85 Truck and misceJIaneous____ AcnL___ ------ 1 61 $75 .75 1 61 $75 .75 0 Arable and p8Sture__.__~___ ___do____ ------ 21 1,284 $.50 .10 2 122 $12 .24 .14 - - - - - - - - - - TotaL__ _ __ ~ ___ ~ _ _ __ __ ---------- ------ 100 6,114 ~------ 15.72 100 6,114 ------ 27.08 11.36 9 1 Average 1925-40 crop prices.