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<br />-::- <br />... <br />~ <br />-, <br /> <br />BUREAU OF RECLAMATION REPORT <br /> <br />...":.'-r.-. <br />-.- <br /> <br />There are no towns within the project area but Green River, Wyo., <br />is approximately 14 miles from the southern project boundary and <br />Kemmerer, Wyo., is about 35 miles from its western boundary. Both <br />Green River and Kemmerer are located on the Union Pacific Railroad. <br />United States Highway No. 30 passes through Green River and United <br />States Highway No, 30-N goes through Kemmerer. United States Highway <br />No, 1.89, extending from Kemmerer to Jackson, Wyo., runs closely paral- <br />lel to the upper 10 miles of the potential project diversion canal and <br />passes within 3 miles of the uppermost project lands. The highways <br />and railroad prOVide access to markets in all parts of the Nation, <br /> <br />A temperate, semiarid climate prevails with relatively cool summers <br />and cold winters, The mean annual temperature is about 440 F. with <br />extremes ranging from 290 F. below zero to 1030 F. The average period <br />between killing frosts is 112 days. Precipitation averages about 8.61 <br />inches annually, about 4.15 inches of which falls during the 5-month <br />period, May to September. Irrigation is necessary for successful crop <br />production. The only lands presently irrigated in the project area are <br />small patches of bottom land that are served by diversions from Green <br />River during the high-water stage. <br /> <br />Approximately 68 percent of the irrigable project land is public <br />domain withdrawn from public entry for reclamation purposes. About 23 <br />percent of the land is owned by the Union Pacific Railroad Company, 4.7 <br />percent by the Rock Springs Grazing Association, and 2.3 percent by the <br />State of Wyoming. The remaining 2 percent of the land is divided among <br />eight landowners. Both the railroad company and grazing association <br />have indicated their willingness to release their holdings for project <br />development, <br /> <br />Coal mining and sheep raising are the major industries in Sweetwater <br />County, Coal production has declined materially in recent years, however, <br />because of advances made by competitive fuels, and sheep raising is being <br />restricted to avoid overuse of the range. These curtailments threaten <br />the stability of the area I s economy, The Seedskadee project is urgently <br />needed to supplement the basin I s income and to proVide settlement oppor- <br />tunities. It would offeet in part the chaotic effect of the declining <br />trend in industries which have heretofore supported the area. <br /> <br />plan of Development <br /> <br />The Seedskadee project would provide an irrigation supply for 60,720 <br />acres of presently undeveloped lands, including 51,690 acres that would <br />be included in family-sized farm units and 9,030 acres that would be <br />devoted to community pasture. Water for domestic and stockwatering use <br />in the project area would be taken from project canals and shallow wells. <br />River flow not required for other project purposes could be utilized for <br />the production of nonfirm electric energy in a 110-foot drop from the <br /> <br />2 <br />