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<br />-. <br /> <br />163,* <br /> <br />Chnptcr I.-_Introduction <br /> <br />Tho Gunnison-ArkarAas projoct nroa includes tho drainn~o bnsin of <br />the Arkansas ,livor in Co1orc.do cast of thCl Continental Divide !lrld the <br />Gun!1ison and Roaring Fork l:ivcrs wost of tho Continentnl Divido. ThCl <br />potential projuct p1nn is to import unallocatcd wator by moans of trnns- <br />basin diversions from tho ',iostorn Slopo area to the Enstern Slope nroa. <br />ThCl Gunnison-Arkansas prcject would provide additional water to the East- <br />orn Slope for tho initinl irrig~tion of noW lend end would supply the <br />prosClnt1y irri~ntcd.1and with supplemontal water. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The major portion of tho lc.nd to rccoivo supp10montal water and tho <br />now land to be benufitcd by initial irrigation is 10catod in Fremont, <br />Pueblo, Otoro, Crowley, Bent, nnd Prowors Countios. This group of coun- <br />ti0s will horeinaftor be roforrod to as the "Six Prinoipa1 Irrigated <br />Countius".l/Counties contiguous to tho Six Prir.oipal Irrigatvd Counties <br />aro Bc.ca. Chaffeo, Choyonno, Custor. E1bort, El Peso, Huorfc.no, Kiowa, <br />Lnko, Lc.s AnirrAB. Lincoln, and Toller. Thcse counties will bo referred <br />to eolluctivoly as the "Tributc.ry Counties". A ninor portion of tho <br />land tc benefit from thu Projcct is loco.ted in Chdfco, El rliRO, ..nd <br />lAke CountiQo. <br />As the potentic.1 Gunnison~rkr.nsas ProjGct ~ould divert wnter from <br />tho ,'Iostorn Slope of C010rc.dci, tho oxtont c.m sui tnbili ty of irrignblo <br />lclndS on tho ,Jostorn Slopc ho.v6 beon in-,estigc.ted by Region 4 of tho <br />Bureau of Roc1amation in ordor,.tho. t optimum development of irriga.blo <br />land on the Wostorn Slope of Colorado would bc provided. Tho benefits <br />which would accruo to tho Hostox:n Slopo from dovelopment of ndditional <br />irrigntion fncilitios ho.vo likQwisO beon invostigatGd by Region 4. <br />That pnrt of tho bonefi ts which....'iould c.ocruo to tho Hcstorn Slope c.s a <br />rosult of tho potontial Gunnison~kansns Project ho.s not boon inc1udod <br />in this appondix. <br /> <br />-. <br /> <br />Tho E:\storn Slopo oren is ono of the oldost :md nost productivo <br />irrigntod rogio:JB in tho ilost. Tho clirJf.to, soil conditions, :\nd nbil- <br />ity of tho fnmcrs on tho presently irriga.ted lend aro such that ovon <br />though tho irrigntion Viator supply'."1s inndoqunte (\00 undepcndablo tho <br />nver~o agn~l gross orop.productio~ fram 322,000 acres of irrigated <br />lo.nd/iat~i';MI.'t .;12,800,000. Truok crops, c orlsisting of cnntn10upes. <br />cucumbers both for markot nOO sood, honoydow molons, wntormolons, onions, <br />colory, cabbago, caulifl~lor, lottucd~ tornc,toos and n number of othor <br />vegctnb1e crops contribute a groater gross orop value than any other <br />sing10 crop. The nnnuo.l v!lluo of n11 'truck crops is osti.J:Jlted to bo <br />about $3,663,000. Tho noxt most ir.1portnnt crop measured in torms of <br />gross crop V!lluo is sugnr boots. closely followed by e1falfa hny. A <br />striking fnet regarding the valuo of truck crops !1m sugar boets. crops <br />ranking first end second in gross crop vulue, is the cempnrntively <br />smell percontago of tho cu1tivatod aron thoy occupy. <br />\ <br />1/ This is the irrigated arpA studied in detail from secondary <br />data and includes 322,000 ..cres 'Cf the 409',554 "-Ores classified as <br />irrigated in the Arkansas Valley in Colorlide. <br /> <br />3--- -- <br />