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sas Valley occurred. Most were gold seekers of the "Pikes Peak or Bust" gold rush. A few were successful in their search, however, most of them went "busted". Many took up farming in the Arkansas River Valley in support of the mining industry. Permanent settle- ments were established and the era of irrigation development began. The second major development in the Volley was the introducfion of cottle. In 1862, John W. Prowers imported 100 head of cottle into the Valley. Because of his success in the cattle business, large herds were imported from Texas. By the end of October 1870, over 30,000 head of Texas cattle were in the Arkan- sas region and 10,000 were reported to have been driven inta Pueblo in the first ten days of November, 1870. The agricultural industry of the Arkansas Valley was firmly established at the start of the Twentieth Century. PHYSICAL AND ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AREA Irrigation Development Irrigation in the Arkansas Valley has grown steadily in importance since its introduction. Available stream runoff was utilized at the outset. But, os markets developed and irrigation farming increased, the demand for late season water could not be sup- plied by unregulated streamflow. As a result, farmer- owned mutual irrigation companies were formed. These companies constructed 15 reservoirs having a toto I storage capacity of 800,000 acre-feet, and 8 transmountain diversion systems importing approxi- mately 50,000 acre-feet of waler annually. The amount of irrigation water avoiloble in the Proiect areo varies considerably from year to year. The overage flow of the Arkansas River at Pueblo is approximately 750 second-feet. The total adjudi- cated direct flow rights on the main stem from the headwaters to the State line amount to 7,400 second. feet. Shortages os high as 78 percent of crop re- quirement hove occured. Agricultural Products The principal crops grown ;n the area of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Proiect ore alfalfa, corn, sor- ghum and sugar beets. Specialty crops such as onions, beans, to[l1atoes and melons, ore grown extensively in the area. The farms within the Arksonsas Valley have 0 good balance between crop and livestock farming. 3 IRRIGATED ONIONS Climate .Th.e climate in the Project area ranges from sub- humid. In the high mountains to semi-arid in the lower elevations. On the Western Slope in the collection area, the mean annual precipitation is 20 inches and th~ o.ve~age temperature is 36.6 degrees Fahrenheit. ThiS IS In contrast wiTh the City of Pueblo on the Easter~ Slope with a mean annual precipitation of 11.67 Inc~es and average temperature of 52 degrees Fahrenheit. . The average normal precipitation throughout the :rfteen C~unty region in the Arkansas River Drainage IS approximately 13.66 inches per year. It is of interest to not~ what an overage annual precipitation of 13.6~ Inches mean to the Arkansas Valley. If it were po~slble t? contain all of the average annual precipi- tatIon which falls in ~he Arkansas Valley, and prevent any from evaporating or leaving the Valley by str~ams, underground rivers, or other means such mOisture would pro 'd t t If' ' 'I' . VI e a 0 a 0 approximately 18 ml Iron acre.feet for use in the . T d region. em perature ~;63water usuage ore closely related. Based upon the k water.use records from six communities in the ~r ansas. Valley, 78 percent of the total water used In the SIX communities was consumed during the w?rmer months and 22 percent during the cooler winter months. The average monthly use during the w~~lmer hPort of the year was 15.3 million gallons 6w2' e '1'1. e cooler months averaged approximateJ; . mJ Ion gallons. Evaporation is an important factor in the water reSOurce management of the . A ' . , f regIon. surprrslng quantIty 0 water is lost back to the, h a mosp ere 4