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<br />00167~
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<br />eleven off-stream reservoirs below Pueblo, sUp~lied with water from the
<br />
<br />Arkansas ~iver. were constructed dt~ing the period 1890-1910. The
<br />
<br />reservoirs below Pueblo have a total ca~acity of 307,500 acre-feet and
<br />
<br />irrigate lands below by direct application or exchange of water. Stor-
<br />
<br />age was thus provided for nearly all the available water supply of the
<br />
<br />Arkaneas River over and above the direct irrieation requirements for
<br />
<br />the valley.
<br />
<br />As of 1940, more than $16,000,000 had been expended for various
<br />
<br />types of irrigation works in the Arkansas Valley proper; the outstanding
<br />
<br />indebtedness at that ti~e was only $3,265,000. Much of this development
<br />
<br />occurred during a period of above-normal runoff on the Eastern Slope and
<br />
<br />of expanding agricult.ural operatione throughout the West. Attempts to
<br />
<br />maintain the area under cuJ. tivation wi th the depleted rllnoff during the
<br />
<br />drought periods have spread the water SUpply to such an extent that much
<br />
<br />~red in the Arkansas Valley during the 1930-1941 period.
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<br />irrigation shortages as high as 33 percent oc- ,A' ,.. '
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<br />Al though
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<br />acreage has an insufficient water supply to carry the crops to full
<br />
<br />maturity or to Bucc€ssful1y produce the high-value crops.
<br />
<br />watsr supplies havs been fully utilized during the growing season,
<br />
<br />April 1 to October 31,
<br />
<br />Of the
<br />
<br />estimated 424,000 acres being currently irrigated, about 306,000
<br />
<br />acres, served by twenty-four canals and ditches along the Arkansas
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<br />River between Pueblo and the Colorado-Kansas boundary, are mostly j'-"^'..'. ,
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<br />without adequate water even though some supplemental water is supplied 'VI." ;",,\
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<br />from wells ~~d small transmountain dive~sionB.
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<br />Well water, however,
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<br />that source of supply, for practical purposes, is the underground flow
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<br />cannot be considered as an addition to the total water supply because
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<br />from surface waters.
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