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<br />CHAPTER II <br /> <br />EVALUATION OF DIRECT AGRICULTURAL BENEFITS TO BE <br />EXPECTED FROM THE FLORIDA PROJ ECT <br /> <br />The evaluation of direct agricultural benefits for the project is based <br />on the proposed faci 1i ties and the project lands to whi ch the Bureau of <br />Reclamation plans to furnish irrigation water. Intervening lands not <br />included in the project have been excluded from the report. Analyses <br />in the report reflect estimates'of average management and application of <br />practices anticipated with project development. <br /> <br />Evaluation Areas <br /> <br />To facilitate the presentation of basic agricultural data and to assist <br />in the analysis of direct agricultural benefits, project lands were grouped <br />into evaluation areas. Soils, climate, and water supply within each <br />evaluation area reflect similar crop adaptations, productivity, land and <br />irrigation development, and production costs. <br /> <br />The nature of the Florida project made it desirable to establish ten <br />evaluation areas to represent without-project cpnditions (table 1). These <br />areas were separated largely because of soils and irrigation water supplies <br />which reflect differences in crop adaptations, productivity, land develop- <br />ment and production costs. With the project, water supplies would be <br />relatively the same and only four evaluation areas would be si gnifi cant. <br /> <br />Evaluation areas AI, A2' and A3' without the project, will become evaluation <br />area A wi th the project. Likewise, evaluation areas 131, B2' and B3 will <br />become evaluation area B, and evaluation areas Cl, C2, and C3 will become <br />evaluation area C. Acreages for evaluation area D are the same without and <br />wi th the project. <br /> <br />Evaluation Area A <br /> <br />These lands are located on <br />extending north and south. <br />of evaluation areas B and C. <br /> <br />Florida Mesa and occur generally in a long strip <br />Some of the lands are interspersed with lands <br />Slopes generally are three percent or less. <br /> <br />Soils are generally deep with loam surface textures. Subsoils take water <br />slowly but have a high water-holding capacity. About 10 percent of the <br />so ils are very gravelly at depths between 30 and 60 inches. <br /> <br />The soils in this evaluation area are grouped in land capability class <br />II bI and require moderate conservation practices for continued production <br />over a long period of time without deterioration. They are suitable for the <br />production of all climatically adapted crops which are generally alfalfa, <br />small grain, com for silage, and pasture. <br /> <br />!/ <br /> <br />Land capability classes are in accordance with the national land capability <br />classification, Soil Cbnservation Service Soils Memo No. 22, May 19, 19,8. <br />- /.( - <br />