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<br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />'" j' 40 <br />"':1'* C> <br /> <br />BASALT PROJECT <br /> <br />AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY AND <br />FINANCIAL ANALYSES <br /> <br />on Federal range lands. The cattle and sheep are marketed both locally <br />and at Denver, with nearly all of the processing being accomplished <br />outside the project area. Hogs, pOUltry, and poultry products are <br />raised mainly for home use. <br /> <br />Some cash crops are grown by farmers with a more adequate irriga- <br />tion water supply. Considerably more cash crops have been grown in the <br />past as evidenced by a nunfuer of abandoned potato cellars in the area. <br /> <br />Land Ownership <br /> <br />All of the supplemental irrigation service la~ds and most of the <br />full service lands are privately owned and operated. The private land <br />is held in 85 o,merships, including 63 owners of presently irrigated <br />land, 60 of whom also own some grazing land. The irrigated acreage <br />o,mership ranges in size from 2 acres to 371 acres, with an average of <br />109 acres. Nearly all of the farmers hold a combination of either <br />irrigated land with grazing land or dry farm land with grazing land. <br />Land ownerships in excess of the limitations of reclamation law do not <br />appear to present a serious problem in the Basalt project area. <br /> <br />In the Missouri Heights section of the Cattle Creek area where most <br />of the presently irrigated lands are located, prolonged drought condi- <br />tions have caused many farmers. to sell their land and seek employment <br />elsewhere. Many of these farms have been consolidated into larger units <br />by the remaining farmers. <br /> <br />Agricultural Economy With Project <br /> <br />Agricultural pattern <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />It is not anticipated that development of the project would result <br />in any basic change in the existing agricultural pattern. Improved farm <br />management practices and better crop yields are expected on supplemental <br />service lands which, together with the agricultural production on full <br />service lands, would result in a much needed stabilization and some <br />ex-yansion in the livestock industry. No increase will occur, however, in <br />grazing privileges on public land. A smaller.proportion of the irrigated <br />area may be used for the production of cash crops including potatoes, <br />beans, and other truck crops. <br /> <br />Production of livestock and livestock products would increase with <br />the additional livestock feeds but no significant changes in the type of <br />livestock are expected to result from the project. Livestock and live- <br />stock products would continue to be sold on local and nation-wide markets. <br /> <br />35 <br />