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REPORT ON REAPPRAISAL OF DIRECT AGRICULTURAL BENEFITS AND PROJECT IMPACTS FLORIDA PROJECT - COLORADO SUMMARY Authori ty This report on the Florida participating project, Colorado River Storage Project has been prepared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in re- sponse to the President's letters of March 19, 1954 to the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior. In his letters, the President requested that a reappraisal of the direct agricultural benefits expected to be produced by the participating projects of the Colorado River Storage Project, be made by the Department of Agriculture in coop- eration wi th the Department of the Interior. Following authorization of the Colorado River Storage Project by the Congress on April 11, 1956, an understanding was reached in July 1956 between the Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of the Interior regarding conduct of a survey to reappraise direct agricultural benefits and to appraise project impacts. The Depart- ment of Agriculture survey was made under the authority of Section 6, Public Law 566, 83rd Congress, as amended, whi ch authorizes the Department to cooperate with other federal, state, and local agencies to make investi- gations and surveys of the watersheds of rivers as a basis for tiE develop- ment of coordinated programs. Purpo se and Scope The purpose of this report is to present information regarding the soil capabilities for irrigation, the present and future land use and production pattern, the costs associated with on-farm irrigation development, pros- pective size and type of farm, net returns with irrigation water, and the direct agri cultural benefi ts for the FlorJda project. In addi tion to the agricultural phases, this report deals with the impacts of the project on the national forests and the relationship of watershed conditions to the project. This report is based on the Florida project plan as outlined by the Bureau of Reclamation. It is confined to the proposed project facilities and to the project lands located on Florida Mesa and along the Florida River, which the Bureau of Reclamation plans to furnish with project irrigation vater. The several analyses in the report reflect an estimate of the average manage- ment and application of practices anticipated as a result of project development. The report also is intended to aid the Bureau of Reclamation in developing their Definite Plan Report, and to provide information bearing on the relationship of the project to the regular programs of the Department of Agr i culture. i