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<br />~ <br />~ <br />...-4 <br />o <br />,J lining designs, lands would be acquired for both temporary <br />=) construction purposes and for perpetual use as described in Chapter <br />II. Tables 2, 3 and 4 compare the additional acreage needed for <br />each reach under alternatives. Widths of the temporary ROW have <br />been carefully chosen for the least possible impact to highly <br />developed areas (including orchards, vineyards, and residential <br />properties) while still providing enough area for the contractor to <br />safely construct the canal. For example under Modified Alternative <br />Ml, in non-restrictive areas, such as open farmland, the minimum <br />temporary ROW needed is 30 feet, but up to 80 feet could be <br />purchased from willing landowners to keep construction costs down. <br />Where there are high value permanent crops such as orchards, the <br />temporary ROW could be reduced even further for very short <br />stretches. <br />For Reach 1, lands are presented in Tables 2 and 3 under the <br />headings "Prime Land" and "Non-Prime Land." Orchards and vineyards <br />in Reach lA which are on "Non prime" land are further presented as <br />"Unique" lands. The Prime and unique Farmlands Act (Public Law 95- <br />87 dated January 31, 1978) provides for the SCS to identify and <br />locate these special farmlands. Prime farmland is defined by the <br />act as: <br /> <br />. land that has the best combination of physical and <br />chemical characteristics for producing food, feed, forage, <br />fiber, and oilseed crops, and is also available for these <br />uses. . . It has the soil quality, growing season, and <br />moisture supply needed to economically produce sustained high <br />yields of crops when treated and managed, including water <br />management, according to acceptable farming methods. In <br />general, prime farmlands have an adequate and dependable water <br />supply from precipitation or irrigation, a favorable <br />temperature and growing season, . . . are not excessively <br />erodible or saturated with water for a long period of time, <br />and they either do not flood frequently or are protected from <br />flooding. <br /> <br />Unique farmlands are defined by the act as: <br /> <br />. . land other than prime farmland that is used for the <br />production of specific high value food and fiber crops. It <br />has the special combination of soil quality, location, growing <br />season, and moisture supply needed to economically produce <br />sustained high quality and/or high yields of a specific crop. <br /> <br />The SCS inventory report entitled "Colorado Important Farmland <br />Inventory" identifies approximately 55 percent of the irrigated <br />farmland in the Grand valley as prime farmland. The report also <br />identifies the fruit orchards in the Grand valley and the Delta- <br />Montrose areas as one of two "Unique Farmlands of National <br />Importance" in Colorado. <br /> <br />25 <br />