Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br />C,J <br />'-1 <br />C,'..J <br />...... <br />7') <br />':.. <br /> <br />--- <br /> <br />'e'.,i". '-C,!, <br /> <br />SUMMARY <br /> <br />The adoption of center pivot irrigation made a phenomenal surge <br /> <br />between the years 1974 and 1977 in the San Luis Valley. Colorado. Out of <br /> <br />about 400.000 acres of irrigated cropland. center pivot irrigation in- <br /> <br />creased fr01ll about 56,000 acres in 1974 to approximately 134.000 acres <br /> <br />in 1977. This has been due to recent drought years plus installation and <br /> <br />labor economies in the use of sprinkler irrigation equipment. <br /> <br />The San Luis Valley, 'located in South Central Colorado, is surrounded <br /> <br />by the Continental Divide of the Rocldes on the west, the Sangre de Cristo <br /> <br />mountain range on the east and the state of New Mexico on the south. The <br /> <br />elevation of the valley floor ia relatively high (about 7.500 feet) and <br /> <br />the growing season is short. lending to the production of cool weather <br /> <br />crops such as potatoes, barley, alfalfa and a number of specialty crops <br /> <br />such as spinach, Center pivot irrigation concentratea mainly in an area <br /> <br /> <br />surrounding the town of Center, Colorado (See map figure 2, page 6b) and <br /> <br />is used almost exclusively for the production of potatoes, feed barley <br /> <br />and malt barley in that area. <br /> <br />During the period 1974 to 1977. however, a number of problems and <br /> <br />questions accompanied this increased use of center pivot irrigation. <br /> <br />Farm input coats (especially pumping power due to higher electricity rates <br /> <br />and water table drawdown) increased during this period. while at the same <br /> <br />time per unit prices of malt barley and potatoes declined, putting growers <br /> <br />into a cost-price squeeze. <br /> <br />While the circular area irrigated by the conventional center pivot <br /> <br />- 1 - <br /> <br />