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<br />"'"' <br />00 <br />l'- _ 7 _ <br /> <br />the middle of October. At that time, they return to the private lands and Bureau of <br /> <br />Land Management ranges at lower elevations, and subsequently move in to aftemath <br /> <br />pasture in October or November. <br /> <br />Ranchers operating Iii th sheep may use the private, BLM, and National Forest <br /> <br />ranges throughout the year with the sheep wintering in the red desert area to the <br /> <br />north and west of Baggs. The hay-producing capacity on sheep ranches is used to <br /> <br />provide supplemental feed for horses arid rams and as an emergency feed supply for <br /> <br />the breeding-ewe flock. Frequently a sheep rancher will also have a herd of cattle <br /> <br />which will depend upon harvested hay production for feed in the winter. Ranches <br /> <br />having rather large operations of both sheep and cattle are not uncommon. <br /> <br />At present; ranches operating on the Little Snake River Valley area are handi- <br /> <br />capped in their operation in a number of respects. The water supply is almost <br /> <br />always inadequate for irrigation in the late summer and occasionally is inadequate <br /> <br />even during the early irrigation season. These shortages result in depressed average <br /> <br />yields of hay and other harvested crops and also in considerable year-to-year <br /> <br />variations in yields. Variation from year to year in the production of harvested <br /> <br />feed for carrying livestock throu~h the winter contributes to instability in live- <br /> <br />stock numbers and in ranch operations. <br /> <br />The shortage of late-season irri~ation water also results in relatively scant <br /> <br />regrowth of crop aftermath for use as fall pasture. A more adequate irripation <br /> <br />water supply would result in greater production of fall pasture, which would relieve <br /> <br />some of the pressure on outside ranges in furnishinr late fall feed for livestock. <br /> <br />Greater production of aftermath pasture Might also release some of the outside range <br /> <br />to be used by a slightly enlarged breeding herd during the spring and summer, rather <br /> <br />than being reserved for fall feed. <br />There is very little agriculture in the area other than range-livestock oper- <br /> <br />ations. The possibilities of other types of agriculture to exist in the area are <br />