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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Costs and_RoqulEEllentE <br /> <br />Data fron the fere['oinrs study i.ndicate tho.t the preho.l,,\.-.~t lo.bor <br />renuirer.wnts of irrigateu Cl'OpS ,~ro 2.5 t:i1,lCS these of the s=o crop gre~1Tl <br />vithont irrigation. Hnrvest co:::ts for cotton aro proportional to tho yielel, <br />;Ihr,ree.s tho cost of hm.L1in[; tho incrm.sotl production is tho only incroe.secl <br />hnrvest cost for gre.in sorghUln and wheat. <br /> <br />~Jater costs depend on a nunbor of factors peculiar to the inMvi- <br />wlal plnnts. Indications ere, however, that the average water cost uppro;~- <br />r,lo.tes fi7.00 per co.re irrigated. Gross wo.ter l'oquirononts o.ppro:rir,mte ono <br />a. f. per o.cro irrigo.tod. <br /> <br />TI1') invest!ilcnt in irrigo.tion fo.cilitios, lo.nd propo.ro:tion, o.nG <br />equipment requic-od f')r irriGation approaches (:>t,5 pe,-' irrige.ted ncre. This <br />investwent ~_,s distriJutod ::\s fo11011s: ()38 pcr acre for won Qnu o.ppurte- <br />nances, (,5.00 ,lor ~Lcre for ditching ClTd land prepe.ration, i:'.nd ~i2.00 pOl' <br />acre for spocialized oqlrl~nent. <br /> <br />B. Hicldta Count:; Hntor.Ir.1Provenent Distdcts Nos. 1 and 2 <br />(T\le 1!ichJ-to.. 1'o.l1s Project] <br /> <br />Tilis pro;ject occupios tho bottoLl lo.nds olong the Hichita Rivor in <br />Hichita County, Toxas. Its con~truction i'ol1oued o.lJ.lOst 30 yoars of agi ta- <br />tion \Jhich began in tho l890ls and cndccl in 1924 when the project "as COD- <br />IJJ.eted. This proj eet concti tutes tho only e:roup enterprise irrieation <br />devolopnent in the Toxo.s pOl'tiol1 of .\;he Rod and Arkansas Rivor Bndns. <br /> <br />Irri(;ation f'nrning in tho Hiehi ta Fnlls proj ect has not hoen <br />ontiroly successful for [l numbor of ronsons, sono of thom stor.mng from <br />physical doficiencies. Tho proportion ef soils suitablo for irricc.tion <br />Hc.S rathor low End wator supplies were only fnir to doubtful in qUCllity for <br />irrigntion. 1:1 tho bagi.nning, tho project was prer.iOtod and devoloped in nn <br />nrea llhere few if o.ny of tho farmers Here fnmiliar "i.th irrigation or irriga- <br />tion practices. Conctructien and devolop!:lCnt CMlO at a tine Hhen the current <br />eil boom Has doc1i!.1inC and roceive~, nuoh \~idor support froD tOlffi poople and <br />business interests than fror.: the peopl.a on the lo.nd. Then, toe, it was <br />developed in an area ;Ihoro noisturo supplios do not necessa.ril,' ir.pose the <br />Unite.tions to crop production that they de in nore arid areas farther west. <br /> <br />glir.1Q1~c Setting <br /> <br />Tho cl:i1:mte of. thi.s aree. is snhhluJid, bordoring on hlL-TId. It is <br />charactorized by short, open, usuc.ll~' nilu Hinters nnel lone SUJ:'Ders. <br /> <br />Tho averago f'lilll'al precipitation is a ltttle less than 23 inches, <br />wi th about ;>l inches occurring durinf, tho gr01-linc sea;oon. Thera is a wido <br />dopa.rture fron the avorage in both tho annual and seac'onCll precipitation. <br />Annual preeipito.tion has raneod fron a 10H of 12.38 inchos in 1:396 to a <br />=:d.nUl,] of 47.15 inches in 1919. <br /> <br />II <br />