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<br />w <br />00 <br />~ <br />01 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Irrigation was found to be essential for successful crop production <br /> <br />in most parts of the basin and the development of water resources in the <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Colorado River Basin found its beginnings in the mid-1800's and is still <br /> <br />continuing. At the turn of the century, most easily available sources of <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />irrigation water had been developed by individuals and local irrigation <br /> <br />companies. It was at this time that Federal reclamation projects were <br /> <br />initiated which had an ultimate affect of providing supplemental water <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />and stabilizing the water supply during water short periods. <br /> <br />In the Upper Basin,!. 4 million acres were irrigated by 1920. This <br /> <br />total was increased to l. 6 million acres in 1965. In addition, the Upper <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Basin exports about 500,000 acre-feet per year and municipal and industrial <br /> <br />users account for 30,000 acre-feet per year. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Development of the water resources in the Lower Basin was slow <br /> <br />because the general terrain made diversion from the river difficult. In <br /> <br />addition, the fluctuations in flow made investment hazardous. . <br /> <br />The first recorded appropriation in the Lower Basin dates from l877, <br /> <br />where water was diverted for the Palo Verde district. Approximately <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />90,000 acres in the district are now irrigated. The completion of the <br /> <br />Hoover Dam, in 1935, catalyzed development and currently about l. 3 million <br /> <br />acres are now under irrigation in the: Lower Basin states. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Water exported from the Lower Basin has great importance to southern. <br /> <br />California. In 1901, irrigation beganin the Imperial Valley. The Imperial <br /> <br />Irrigation District now comprises 9l0,000 acres of which more than one-half <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />26 <br /> <br />. <br />