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<br />co <br />.... <br />tr.) <br />~ <br /> <br />CHAPTER II <br /> <br />PRESENT AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT <br /> <br />Land Resources <br /> <br />Land characteristics <br /> <br />Lands suitable for agricultural production in the project area are <br />located along stream bottoms and on benches and valley side slopes. The <br />bottom lands have slopes of less than 3 percent while the bench lands <br />and side slopes have a gradient of 3 to 20 percent. The soils are gen- <br />erally dark with loamy texture and relatively high organic content. They <br />are shallow in depth over gravels and cobbles. Rocks are prevalent in <br />the soils in some areas. Soils in the arable areas contain inconsequen- <br />tial amounts of salt. No alkalinity or salinity problems would be ex- <br />pected with project development. Drainage characteristics are generally <br />good but many of the areas presently irrigated have high water tables. <br />These result partly from topographic deficiencies and partly from the <br />heav;y' water applications in the early summer. <br /> <br /> <br />Irrigated lands along Tomichi Creek just east of <br />Gunnison. Lands slope from about 20 percent at <br />right of picture to about 3 percent at left. <br /> <br />Land classification <br /> <br />Reconnaissance surveys indicate there are 171,980 acres of arable <br />land in the Upper Gunnison Basin, of which 60,610 acres are irrigated. <br />The arable acreage is summarized on the following page. The acreage is <br />shown generally by the stream drainage area in which it is located al- <br />though some small areas are not separately identified but are included <br />in the drainage area of an adjacent stream. <br /> <br />8 <br />