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<br />C\l <br />C'j <br />'l:t' grazing of sheep, cattle, and big game animals, Timber productioa, wild= <br />life, and recreation are other uses of this area, Lower elevations are <br />about equally divided between privately owned land and public domain. <br />About one-fourth of the privately owned land is irrigated. A very small <br />percentage of land is be ing used far dry farming, Nearly three=fourths <br />of the area is used for grazing by domestic livestock and big game animals. <br /> <br />Mining and oil explorations are being conducted within the watershed area. <br />If these exploratians lead to development of mineral and oil resources, <br />watershed conditions will be affected. <br /> <br />Land Ownership <br /> <br />Land ownership is shown in table 24. <br /> <br />Tabl~ 24. - Land ownership, watershed area, Silt project <br /> <br />Class of ownership <br /> <br />Square miles <br /> <br />Percent sf total <br /> <br />Federal land <br /> <br />Total <br /> <br />65 <br />45 <br />.22. <br />175 <br /> <br />37 <br />26 <br /> <br />Public domain <br />National forest land <br /> <br />Private <br /> <br />..11. <br /> <br />100 <br /> <br />Watershed Problems <br /> <br />Subwatershed NO.1 (The area above the Rifle Gap Dam Site) <br /> <br />Sediment which may be carried into the reservoir by the major drainages <br />is the most significant problem in this subwatershed. <br /> <br />Contributing factors to the sedimentation problem are: (1) Erosion of the <br />Mancos shale areas, (2) sheet erosion where proper grazing use and distri- <br />bution are not being practiced, (3) farming practices on lands near the <br />severely gullied areas on the lower drainages, (4) roads, trails, driveways, <br />drainages and recreation use, (5) loss of protective cover by fire, (6) <br />abandoned beaver dams that break and contribute accumulated soil material <br />to the stream. <br /> <br />Subwatersheds No. 2 and 3 <br /> <br />(That portion east and south of the Rifle Gap <br />Reservoir including the project irrigated lands) <br /> <br />Significant watershed problems in this area are flood water and sediment <br /> <br />- 52 - <br />