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<br />Agriculture is the dominant economic activity in the area. There
<br />are 610,000 acres of irrigated crop and pasture land in San Luis Val-
<br />ley. OBERS E projections reported the 1964 crop production to be
<br />$23,554,000 and the livestock production at $IS,137,OOO, and the 1980
<br />projections to be $23,926,000 and $22,916,000 respectively. The prin-
<br />cipal crops produced are alfalfa hay, barley, oats and potatoes. Cat-
<br />tle and sheep are grazed on forest lands during the summer and fed in
<br />the valley during the fall and winter. Tourism is a growing and im-
<br />portant industry, which is based upon high quality outdoor recreation
<br />activities available in the National Forests. The Rio Grande National
<br />Forest is an important producer of timber which is transported to
<br />mills in the valley. The mines in the mountains produce gold, silver,
<br />lead and zinc, and earned $1,645,000 0967 dollars) in-1969.
<br />
<br />The surface stream flow into the San Luis Valley is primarily
<br />from the mountain snowmelt in the spring and averages 1,408.0 MGD
<br />annually. The stream flows are low during the fall and winter. An
<br />'average of 1126.7 MGD annually of the surface inflow is diverted for
<br />,irrigation of the 610,000 acres of crop land, and meadow and pasture
<br />lands. During high flows and flood periods, the Rio Grande, Conejos
<br />and San Antonio Rivers overflow their banks, damaging agricultural
<br />lands, irrigation systems, and transportation systems. Alamosa and
<br />Monte Vista are subject to damages from floods on the Rio Grande.
<br />MeC estimated the 1975 flood damages in ASA 1301 to be $77,000 urban,
<br />$1,269,000 agricultural, and $262,000 non-urban. The waters in
<br />Kerber Creek and in tributary streams of the Rio Grande near Creede
<br />are polluted by high concentrations of mineral mine drainage and
<br />wastes.
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<br />The light textured soils in the valley are subject to gullying
<br />and erosion during storm runoff periods, and subject to wind erosion
<br />during the spring winds. The estimated soil losses are about 164,000
<br />tons annually.
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<br />The population of the area in 1975 was 42,013, of which 54% are
<br />Anglo and 46% are Spanish heritage. The population is 71.5% rural,
<br />compared with 21.3% for the State. The San Luis Valley (ASA 1301) is
<br />an economically depressed area. The per capita income is $3,240 which
<br />is approximately 80% that of the State. The per capita income of
<br />those of Spanish heritage is approximately 50% of the average. In
<br />1972, 11.7% of the population received public assistance, and 79.4%
<br />of those- rece-iving welfare were of Spanish heri.tage.
<br />
<br />Problem Area 1, ASA 130l. The problem area is the Closed Basin
<br />of the Rio Grande headwaters in parts of-Saguache and Alamosa Counties,
<br />Colorado. The area lies north of the Rio Grande and, as the name im-
<br />plies, the surface runoff is non-tributary to the river. The hydrologic
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