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<br />o <br />C'J <br />C\l <br />--; <br />;;"', <br />C;) <br /> <br />six acres. per quarter section are lost to farmsteada; ditches and other <br /> <br />obstructions). This system is included in the budgets and currently <br /> <br />appears to be economically feasible but it does requi.re more capital <br />and risk. <br /> <br />Extent, Growth and Limits of Center Pivot Irriltation in the San Luis Valley <br /> <br /> <br />As of January I, 1978 there were over 1000 center pivot systems in <br /> <br />the San Luis Valley, the number more than doubling since 1974, largely <br /> <br />due to the drought situation with a need for more efficient application, <br /> <br />plus economies in the purchase of center pivot equipment from 1974 to <br /> <br />the present 'and labor cost saving. In 1978, 134,000 acres were sprinkler <br /> <br />irrigated with ten to twelve thousand acres of sprinkler comers that <br /> <br />could be irrigated and farmed with only minor adaptation to the existing <br /> <br />irrigation systems. The other 10,000 acres in comers would be difficult <br /> <br />or impossible to irrigate due to having no source of irrigation water, <br /> <br />being too rocky and unlevel, and/or being extremely sandy or alkaline. <br /> <br />In the prime farmland area between Monte Vista and Center there <br /> <br /> <br />are approximately 80 qua.rters .without center pivot sprinklers. 11 ,Many, <br /> <br /> <br />or these are'divided by canals; roads, and power lines which would make <br /> <br />the installation of center pivot systems difficult. The remaining quartera <br /> <br />will likely go into center pivots within several years. Since this is <br /> <br /> <br />prime farmland currently.having sufficient water, another five to eight <br /> <br />thousand acres of center pivot irrigation and another one thousand acres <br /> <br />of .comer areas would be added. <br /> <br />1/ Subsequent information indicated that center pivot irrigation systems <br />were installed on 35 of these quarters during 1978. <br /> <br />- 7 - <br />