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<br />SUM1ARY <br /> <br />At the request of the Dolores Water Conservancy District and the Lblores <br />and Dove Creek Soil Conservation Districts, the Soil Conservation Service <br />canpleted a study on hCM the dry cropland in the IXllores Project Area should <br />be converted to irrigation. As part of the Dolores Project, the Bureau of <br />Reclamation (OOR) is developing facilities to irrigate 27,750 acres of new <br />land in Montezuma and Dolores Counties, Colorado. Water delivery will begin <br />in 1987 for the first block of development. Detailed conservation plans <br />were developed by SCS for 2,916 acres in this area. Each plan contained <br />alternative irrigation system designs for surface systems, sideroll <br />sprinkler systems and center pivot sprinkler systems. Surface systems are <br />not viable solutions because of lCM irrigation efficiencies obtainable on <br />steep-undulating topography. <br /> <br />The study found that the most likely cropping pattern with the project <br />will be a rotation of five years alfalfa, one year small grains, and one <br />year beans. Based on this cropping pattern, the least costly irrigation <br />system is sideroll sprinkler systems. Sideroll sprinkler systems designed <br />to irrigate about 2/3 the total area (18,000 ac.) make the best use of the <br />available water. This type of system including pipelines will have an <br />average installation cost of about $309 per acre. Center pivot systems will <br />cost about $530 per acre to install. The lessor labor costs for center <br />pivots partially offset this difference in cost/acre for sprinkler systems. <br />It is anticipated that a mix of siderolls and center pivots will be <br />installed. A seven year lease-buy option presently being offered by local <br />irrigation equipment canpanies appears to be the most econanical way to <br />obtain these systems. <br /> <br />The study found that any rotation using sprinklers and involving alfalfa <br />will reduce erosion to acceptable limits. HCMever, if significant dJanges <br />occur in any of the crop prices or other variables in the future, alfalfa <br />could be reduced or eliminated fran the present anticipated rotations. If <br />this occurs, conservation practices such as conservation tillage, contour <br />fanning, terracing, waterways damner / diker implements and crq> res idue use <br />will be incorporated into the farm plans being developed at that time. <br />The study also found that a small increase in net returns to the farmer <br />will occur \\hen changing fran dry cropland to irrigated cropland. However, <br />if crop prices, rotations or interest rates (15% used in study) dJange <br />appreciably in the future, net returns will need to be re-analyzed at that <br />time. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Over 5.5 million dollars will be required to install all the needed <br />irrigation systems on 18,000 ac. in the project area. Of this amount 2.2 <br />million dollars will go for the installation of underground pipelines and <br />3.3 million dollars to buy the sprinkler systems. Nine staff years of <br />tedmical assistance will be needed to plan these systems and Oller 10 staff <br />years of technical assistance will be needed to supervise the iretallation <br />of the plarmed system. <br /> <br />A public information program is in progress by federal agencies (BOR, <br />ASCS, FMHA, Extension and SCS) to familiarize and educate the farmers on <br />changing fran dry cropland to irrigation. This report, as well as the data <br />collected, contains information \\hich will reduce the time required to <br />prepare future plans. <br /> <br />-1- <br />