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<br />Social - Economic
<br />
<br />As with most of Colorado, the Gunnison Basin was explored by the Spanish,
<br />but they made no attempt to settle there. Captain Gunnison explored
<br />much of the basin in 1881 searching for a feasible railroad route across
<br />the Continental Divide. In 1873, the Ute Indians ceded the upper basin
<br />to the federal government and settlement started almost immediately.
<br />The Uncompahgre Basin and the lower basin remained an Indian reservation
<br />unti 1 1881 when the lands were opened to settlement. In 1882, a rai 1-
<br />road entered the valley and settlement and irrigation of lands has made
<br />progress since that time.
<br />
<br />The Census of Irrigation illustrates the development of irrigated acreage
<br />by drainage basins. Irrigated acreage for the 1919-69 period was as
<br />follows:
<br />
<br /> Uncompahgre North Smith Tomichi Gunnison Gunnison
<br />Year River Fork Fork Creek River Other River Total
<br /> -- -"-
<br />1919 86,119 31,006 15,314 21,752 17,373 171,564
<br />1929 89,679 38,725 19,329 17,336 20,682 185,751
<br />1939 96,515 52,779 20,407 33, 104 93,307 296,112
<br />1949 103,735 25,501 18,408 27,396 94,357 269,397
<br />1959 111,000 21,000 16,000 27 ,000 73,000 248,000
<br />1964 97,221 26,272 15,282 23,436 87,156 249,367
<br />1969 115,000 28,961 15,028 25,818 71 ,393 256,200
<br />
<br />The total irrigated acreage in the Gunnison River Basin is 260;000 acres
<br />of which 184,700 acres are in the Lower Gunnison Basin Unit. Alfalfa,
<br />grass, hay, and pasture are the most important crops grown (66%); fol lowed
<br />by small grain (11%), corn (6%) , orchard (5%), dry beans (4%) and miscellaneous
<br />other crops. In an average year, approximately 8,000 acres are idle.
<br />Within the Lower Gunnison Basin are the Uncompahgre, Fruitgrowers Dam,
<br />Paonia and Smith Fork Federal Reclamation projects which serve full or
<br />supplemental water to 88,000 acres on 2,326 farms. The average 1964-73
<br />value of crops harvested per acre for the projects was $134 and average
<br />farm size is 38 acres. The $5,000 average value of production per farm
<br />accounts for the large percentage of part-time and retirement farmers,
<br />and in part, to poor irrigation systems and management.
<br />
<br />Key rural towns in the Lower Gunnison area include Delta (3,700 people
<br />in 1970) and Montrose (6,500 people in 1970). Preliminary county populations
<br />and projections were furnished by the Colorado Division of Planning.
<br />Portions of these counties lie outside the boundary area.
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<br />003078
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