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<br />.
<br />
<br />1638
<br />
<br />(preject lands)
<br />
<br />The permeability and absorption of water of the sandy soils is much
<br />more rapid than that of the heavier soils, but the sandy soils hold less
<br />water, Heavy soils, on the other hand, take water more slowly but hold
<br />mOTe of it. Very hea~J soils hold water so tenaciously that much of it
<br />is not readily available to plants. Where optimum conditions in respect
<br />to permeability and water holding capacity are not naturally present,
<br />they oan be improved by careful soil and irrigation management.
<br />
<br />The number of irrigat.tona and the amount of water applied at each
<br />irrigati.on in the area varles with the nnnno.l climatic Oonditio/l,ll; tl:{l~_te;:-
<br />terture, structure, and c.epth of soil; oho.racter of the subsoil; nnV'i'e-
<br />quireinents of orop to be irrigated. From a series of records and other
<br />observutions made in the Upper ArkunsCls River Basin by the Coloro.do
<br />Agriculturo.l and Mechun~eal College, it WOos found that the req~ired
<br />llIIIountof'v..c. ter~PI'lied,c.t_e o.c_h"irr:igo. t ion"s hould=-~.y:fJ;61iF3=to 6 ~u'Or~~
<br />~ -- -.. . ':inc!le,{.;r _water -pi>rc:o.cr:e~depeh:ling=up_OJl.the"d"pj;li,,-of=:r:9ot=p'ene,tr!ltiOll--'~~
<br />=-~-====-~::-- ~of=di1'fer.ent 'cj>:ops=OJl<i=-th'e-_fFequ~ncy . "r'iXi'i gO:ti~n.c.-:~!Tc~e;!\c ti'~PE1a:t-,. I
<br />:=.-:....'u,', . .:.'=~. ~s,~s .z:~c.amren(L toot ..the'.numbel":"o! 'TrI.:.ig"ti',;jns-=-applTec[',t~~r:ops;;gJ;ow~Jin.- :_
<br />I-.:.'~ ..-=- ~'-': __ '.~ ,tho ar.~~:-caho':l~~;-1i,o- ,!:s,:foHows: .-o.niilfa4:,t.o.:-S,,=sugur' bee-ts:.:~.:;t=o~6T--
<br />'. . -" " ';-, --, '=00rn-'3 to'~4,:-:-~ri1li1l gr'ain:' nnd' sorghums 1 to- 3~'a:nd':'dry beans"4'='to=6. .
<br />'--- -- Special truck crops such as dry onions, tomatoes, cantc.loupes, and cu-
<br />~ oumbers require frequent irrigations and the number applied to these
<br />crops vnries from 4 to 10 or more.
<br />
<br />Under present conditions of an inadequate w~ter supply the kind of
<br />crops grown using these recon1QendCltions is limited to lands under 0. few
<br />ditohes having an ~dequo.te ~nd timely water supply.
<br />
<br />Topol!:raphy
<br />
<br />The Eastern Slope area lies in the Great Plains rogion and slopes
<br />from the foot of the Rooky Hountains eClstwo.rn. beyond the limits of the
<br />area. The elevation at Salida is 7,050 feet, o.t Canon City 5,343 feet,
<br />at Pueblo 4,708 feet, and c.t Holly neo.r the ColorCldo-Ko.ns~s Sto.te line
<br />3,385 feet.
<br />
<br />Into this sloping plain the Arknnso.s River has cut a troad but rel-
<br />atively shallow valley, terminating on the west in steep mounto.in
<br />slopes. This valley is bordered b:,' steep rocky bluffs, high mosas,
<br />and terrace slopes in the upper part; by slopes of lower-lying mesas,
<br />hills, law river blUffs, and terraces in the central part; and by more
<br />noo.rly level plo.ins undulating only slightly and lying higher than the
<br />rivor valley in the lower part. The uplands in the contro.l Clnd lower
<br />._____ u . part of the area slop" ,!:ovro.r~..tbe>Liv:er_exoept--whoI"etri-butaries 'entor ____ _ n_
<br />
<br />8
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