Laserfiche WebLink
<br />r- <br /> <br />I <br />.j.I"~ <br />~~I <br /> <br />n <br /> <br />r" <br /> <br />,.. <br />G (j '}0 <br /> <br />4. Impact on Mor~an County and State of Colorado <br /> <br />The proposed Narrows project would cause a far greater economic loss <br /> <br />to Morgan County and surrounding area than the monetary gain that is <br /> <br />assumed to be generated by a dam on the South Platte River. <br /> <br />Morgan County's basic economy is agriculturally oriented; and the <br /> <br />57,000 acres included wi thin the "take line" of the proposed project would <br /> <br />take about 17,000 acres of prime irrigated crop land, and 40,000 acres of <br /> <br />pasture and meadowland needed to help supply a world encountering a dwindl- <br /> <br />ing food supply. The loss of this land would reduce the agricultural income <br /> <br />of the county and surrounding area as follows: <br /> <br />$7,)51,500 annually from the sale of corn. potatoes, beans, sugar <br /> <br />beets, alfalfa. barley and oats. and other farm products. <br /> <br />$4,1)2,730 annually from the sale of dairy livestock and their pro- <br /> <br />ducts. feedlot cattle, range cattle, horses, hogs, and <br /> <br />other livestock. <br /> <br />------. <br /> <br />This comes to a total figure of $11,484.2)0, which comprises approxi- <br /> <br />mately 11% of the agricultural production of Morgan County per year. <br /> <br />The land that would be removed from the tax rolls of Morgan County <br /> <br />by the proposed Narrows project amounts to approximately 14% of the total <br /> <br />tax base of the county per year. <br /> <br />The annual value of oil and gas production in the Weldon Valley and <br /> <br />surrounding area at current prices is $122,421. The potential of future <br /> <br />petroleum production should not be overlooked in a country in need of <br /> <br />energy resources. Morgan County R. E. A., Public Service Company of <br /> <br />Colorado and Mountain Bell Telephone Company would lose considerable <br /> <br />revenue if the Narrows project is implemented I <br /> <br />,J <br />