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<br />0528 <br /> <br />The Lower South Platte River flood plain is characterized by <br />intensive agricultural land use, in contrast to the extensive <br />range and dryland farming in the rolling upland areas. Irrigation <br />farming is predominant. ApproximatelS" 42 diversion dams are <br />located along the Lower South Platte River in the study area, <br />'!hey serve an additional 142,000 areas in the South Platte valley. <br />Groundwater pumping provides an important source of irrigation <br />water to supplement the surface supplS". Dryland farming is <br />practiced where land is unsuitable for irrigation or where water <br />supplies are inadequate. Very few farmsteads are located within <br />the flood plain. Brush, timber, wasteland, and pasture are <br />located adjacent to the river. The flood plain is crossed by a <br />network of State, county, and rural roads and bridges. Major <br />traffic routes paralleling the South Platte River include <br />Interstate 80 S, Federal Highways 6 and 138, and the Union Pacific <br />Railroad. During the" flood of 1965 the cities of Fort Morgan and <br />Sterling and at least eight other communities, with a total <br />IXlPuJ.ation of over 22,000 in 1970, sustained significant damages. <br />A total of 11 communities in the study area are subject to flooding. <br />'lhese populations and locations of these communities are shown in <br />table 9. Locations of the communities are shown in plate 1. <br /> <br />16 <br />