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<br />
<br />CHAPTER 4
<br />
<br />EXISTING LAND RESOURCES,
<br />DEVELOPMENT, AND UTIUZA TION
<br />
<br />Land and water resources are closely interrelated.
<br />Climate, gel1logy, physiugraphy, and soils influence the
<br />nature of land resources, their development and usage,
<br />and their current pattern of ownership and management.
<br />Use, development. and mar\'ilogel:\)en\ of the basin's land
<br />resources affect ,both the quantity and quality of water.
<br />In turn, development of the basin's w.lter resources
<br />affects the availability. productivity, and use of the land.
<br />Figure 15 illustrates the relationship between climatic
<br />zones and natural vegetation. A description and c1assifj.
<br />cation of land is necessary to depict its adaptability and
<br />capacity for various uses, its potential for development.
<br />requirements for maintenance, Jnd its ability to produce
<br />goods <J nu services.
<br />
<br />lAND OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT.
<br />AND ADMINISTRATION
<br />
<br />The land and water area of the Missouri Basin is
<br />328.5 million acres, with 324.7 million acres of land and
<br />3.8 mHHon acres. of water. As discussed in the preceding
<br />chapter, all of the basin was originally in Federal
<br />ownership, being acquired in lhe Louisiana Purchase in
<br />l803. Tluollgh sales, land grants, and v:Hious special i:Jnd
<br />limited homestead acts passed by lhe Congress, some 86
<br />percenl of the basin area passed to private and Stale
<br />ownership.
<br />
<br />Non-Federal lands
<br />
<br />Today, private individuals Jre the predominant
<br />owners of the land i:Jnd water in the basin. Non-Federal
<br />ownership of land and water in the basin amounts to
<br />nearly ::!84 million acres of the tOlal 329 million acres. as
<br />shown in table 8 by subbasins. Non-Federal ownership
<br />inc1udc~ all State :.md local government lands as well as
<br />Indian-owned lands, including those held in trllst by the
<br />Federal Government. State-owned lands are estiTllJted to
<br />be about 4 percent of the basin area.
<br />As shown in t3'ole 8, the lower subbasins contain the
<br />highest percentage of~privately owned hmd and water.
<br />while the mountainous and ::Hid subbasins to the west
<br />and north have less land in privJte ownership. Only 66
<br />
<br />percent of the Yellowstone Subba~in is \n pllvate
<br />ownership <JS compared to 99 percent in the Middle
<br />Missouri, Kansas. and Lower Missouri subbasins.
<br />
<br />Table 8 - LAND AND WATER AREAS
<br />
<br /> Total Non-
<br />Su"basin Units Ate, Federal Federal
<br />Upper Missouri Ac. 52,963 39.363 13.600
<br /> 70 100 74 26
<br />Yellow~tonc Ac_ 45,198 29,764 15,434
<br /> % \00 66 34
<br />Western Dakota Ac. 49,356 43,09\ 6.165
<br /> % 100 87 t3
<br />Eastern Dakota Ac. 37,304 36,529 775
<br /> % 100 98 2
<br />Platte-Niobrara Ac. 63,675 55,807 7,868
<br /> % 100 88 12
<br />Middle M\s.s.out\ "c_ 15,745 15,697 48
<br /> % 100 99 I
<br />Kansas A,c. 38,876 38,511 365
<br /> % 100 99 I
<br />Lower Missouri Ac. 25.391 25,063 318
<br /> % 100 99 t
<br />Missouri Basin Ac. 328,508 283,825 44,683
<br /> '" 100 86 14
<br /> ,0
<br />
<br />Source: Dafa rrom various Federal agenci~s. including BUreau
<br />nf CenslIS )960 land and Water Areas by Countie.'i and lhe
<br />USDA National Invenlory or Soil and Water COIlservalion
<br />Needs, J9SB.
<br />
<br />The ll1anagemenl of private lands within the basin is
<br />....esled with thow;ands of individuals, corporations, and
<br />legal entities. Ex~ept for some general restrictions sllch
<br />as taxes Jnd zoning laws. these individual owners and
<br />manager:> traditiona\1y have h3d the right to use their
<br />land m\l~h as they saw fit. Man<Jgement practices in the
<br />private sector are controlled basicJlIy by economic
<br />conditions. The resulting use of the private lands is, in
<br />the broadest sense, the optimizing of economic benefits.
<br />Thus, the broad patterns of livestock raising, cropping,
<br />timber, industry, and urbanization represent the best
<br />economi~ use of the land. Unless there is a major change
<br />in the general economi~ conditions of the Nation, the
<br />general land-use patterns will continue.
<br />The non-Federal owners and operators of agricultural
<br />lands - cropland, pasture and lange. and forest and
<br />
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