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<br />
<br />Improved Mechanized Equipment Continues
<br />To Increase Farm Efficiency
<br />
<br />variations in climate on agriculture has been recognized
<br />as more severe than any other large agricultural areas in
<br />the Nation. Under these conditions, planning decisions
<br />are subject to great deviation from "expected averages".
<br />Agriculture can adjust and produce economically in any
<br />climatic level if the weather is relatively stable and
<br />predictable. In vast areas of the basin, however, the
<br />"normal" climate varies widely and unpredictably. The
<br />driest summers in the vast midsection arc like the arid
<br />western plains while the more favorable years may create
<br />typical corn belt conditions. The succession of wet
<br />years, drought years, and those in between does not
<br />follow any predictable pattern or cycle. Planning based
<br />
<br />upon average expectation frequently falls short of goals
<br />due to inadequate precipitation or fails to utilize
<br />favorable moisture to optimize production.
<br />This climatic environment, plus the physical features
<br />of the basin, controls agriculture as it is today, and the
<br />potential -agriculture as it relates to water and land
<br />resource development.
<br />
<br />Agricultural land Use
<br />
<br />Many of the significant characteristics of agricultural
<br />organization are linked closely to the climatic and
<br />physical features of the basin. In general, rainfall belts
<br />range from a favorable subhumid environment in the
<br />lower basin and eastern plains to a semi-arid to arid
<br />environment in the western areas. With this transition
<br />from east to west, cropland gives way to grassland, farm
<br />size increases, and the density of farm population
<br />declines. The general transition is interrupted at points
<br />by irrigation which creates areas of diversified agricul-
<br />ture within the general limitations of local climatic
<br />conditions. These irrigation areas enhance lInd stabilize
<br />gross income by sustaining production of high-valued
<br />specialty crops and winter roughage and feed grains
<br />which support ranching operations in the arid areas.
<br />Approximately 312 million acres, or 95 percent of
<br />the land area in the Missouri River Basin, are used for
<br />some agricultural purpose, as shown in table 9. About
<br />87 percent of the agricultural land and essentially all of
<br />the cropland are in private ownership_ Federally owned
<br />land is an important source of livestock grazing and
<br />forest products.
<br />Grassland is the largest major land use category, as
<br />shown in table 10. About 61 percent or 189 million
<br />acres of the agricultural land is devoted to grazing. The
<br />highest proportion of grazing use occurs in the Upper
<br />Missouri, Yellowstone, Western Dakota, and Platte-
<br />Niobrara subbasins where more than two-thirds of the
<br />
<br />Table 9 - INVENTORY OF LAND PRODUCING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, BY SUBBASINS
<br />
<br /> Upper Yellow- Western Eastern Platte- Middle I Kansas Lower Missouri
<br />Item Missouri stone Dakota Dakota Niobrara Missouri Missouri Basin
<br /> {Thousand Acres)
<br />Private Ag. Land:
<br />Cropland 10,710 3,374 9,295 21,008 15,634 11,219 22,341 10,208 103,789
<br />(Irrig.) I (953 ) (1,031 ) (198) (119) (2,784 ) (103 ) (1,703 ) (5 ) (6,896 )
<br />Pasture & Range 25,522 24.333 31.677 12,547 35,147 2,485 13_619 7,334 152,664
<br />(lrrig.) (t49 ) (157 ) ( II) - (202 ) - - - ( 5 t9)
<br />Forest & Woodland 1,964 1,550 977 2\1 1,936 631 597 5,788 13,654
<br />(Grazed) (1,356 ) (1,357 ) (908 ) (110) (1,410) (560 ) <382 ) ( 3,103 ) (9,186 )
<br />Other Ag. Land 254 9] 209 594 621 447 552 793 3,561
<br />Total Pvt. Ag_ Land 38,450 29,348 42,158 34,360 53,338 14,782 37,109 24,123 273,668
<br />Other Forest Land - - - - - 1 ]8 4 - 122
<br />Federal Land Producing:
<br />Ag. Products 11,932 13,804 5,13\ 39 7,449 t 69 177 38,602
<br />(Grazed by Lvstk.) (8,134 ) (9,433 ) (3,915 ) ( 6) (6,037 ) -- - (49 ) (7) (27,581 )
<br />(Forest) (5,247 ) (4,523 ) (1.486 ) ( 33 ) (2,952 ) (I ) (20 ) (170 ) (]4,432 )
<br />Total Ag. Land 50,382 43.152 47,289 34,399 60,787 14,901 37,182 24,300 312,392
<br />
<br />'Includes irrigated cropland in flureau of /{cclamat;on projects under construction or funded for construction.
<br />
<br />30
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