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<br /> <br />~:\ ,., .ft "1 <br />4'1<4. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />CHAPTER V <br /> <br />AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY AND FINANCIAL ANALYSES--BASALT PROJECT <br /> <br />Basis of Analyses <br /> <br />Estimates of the irrigation benefits that would result from the <br />Basalt project and the water users' ability to make payments on project <br />costs have been analyzed largely through the use of secondary data. <br />Agricultural data and farm budgets prepared for the Silt, Bostwick Park, <br />and Fruitland Mesa projects in western Colorado were adjusted as necessary <br />and utilized in the analysis. All anal:y-ses were based on an anticipated <br />long-term price level of 250 for prices received by farmers and 265 for <br />prices paid, using the 1910-1914 period as 100. Climatological data for <br />the projects mentioned is compared below with data for the Basalt project. <br /> <br /> Elevation Annual Effecti ve Frost- Irri- <br /> (feet precipi- precipi- free gation <br /> above tation ta-tion period season <br />Project sea level) (inches) (inches) (days) (days) <br />. Silt <br />Harvey and <br />Davie Mesas 5,760 11.1 3.67 141 165 <br /> Dry Elk Valley 6,285 13.0 4.07 138 160 <br /> Bostwick Park 7,100 16.0 If. 72 147 165 <br /> Fruitland Mesa 7,100 10.0 135 156 <br /> Basalt 7,000 14.0 3.91 128 151 <br />Economic and financial data for the four projects are compared in a <br /> table on page 39. <br /> Agricultural Economy Without Pro,Ject <br /> <br />Livestock, livestock products, and cash cropping constitutes the <br />present agricultural production in the project area. Presently irrigated <br />land, which constitutes about 30 percent of' the proposed project area, is <br />mostly devoted to production of alfalfa, pasture, and small grains which <br />are used primarily as livestock feeds. Some of the lands produce cash <br />crops, principally potatoes and beans. Approximately 25 percent of the <br />land that would be newly irrigated by the project is presently producing <br />dry land wheat through the practice of summer fallm,ing. <br /> <br />The production of beef ffild sheep is the principal livestock industry, <br />with dairy production being of minor importance. Beef cattle and sheep <br />. are raised by a majority of the farmers, many of whom have grazing permits <br /> <br />34 <br />