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o c ~ - ANTICIPATED AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY Crops ~ ~. Development of the project would, it is expected, effect an increase in the acreage of apples., potatoes, and miscellaneous truck crops; however, the production of livestock feeds would continue to be the major farm enterprise. Table 2 shows the distribution, yields, and values of crops per average farm acre under present conditions and possible future con- ditions with an adequate water supply. Livestock Land owners near the northern end of the project on Fort Lewis Mesa and in Thompson Park, with senior water rights' and grazing per- mi ts for summer range, are engaged primarily in the raising of beef cattle and sheep. The numbers of both cattle and sheep per owner are relatively small, few stockmen owning more than 300 head of cattle or 1,000 head of sheep. An adequate water supply for these areas would result in the production of somewhat larger ammmts of livestock feed, but the increase would not be as great as on the Red Mesa area, where present production is low. The increased production of forage and grain crops may be expected to induce the feeding locally of larger numbers of steers and lambs. In the New Mexico Division, settlement began earlier than in the northern portion of the Colorado area, and the livestock industry is well established. Although in the recent drought years the dairy industry suffered severely, farmers with prior water rights on Red Mesa have more dairy than beef cattle. With an improved water supply there should be a considerable increase in dairying. Hog and poultry raising are not general in the area. ConSiderable increase in hog raising should result from an improvement in the water supply, as there would be an increase in available pasture, skim milk, and grain. Land Settlement Since the entire area to be served is now under cultivation, there would be very little opportunity for additional settlement. Any new settlers who could be accommodated through subdivision of present hold- ings would be available from the dry farms in the vicinity. There are a number of landowners in both divisions of the project with holdings in excess of 160 acres of irrigable land; Reclamation laws limit the delivery of water on a Federal project to a maximum of 160 irrigated acres in one holding. Sinc e there is a larger irri- gable area under the existing irrigation system than can be served a full water supply even after project development, water deliveries might be limited to an area of l60 acres per holding, thus elimi- nating the neoessity of reducing these excess holdings. This is a problem which it is believed can be worked out by the irrigation dis- trict when it is formed. 33