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<br /> <br /> <br />the Gunnison. National Forest. Grazing permits on public domain lands <br />f'clrnish spring and fall grazing for these same livestock. (The ntllllber <br />of operators and ~mWer of livestock indicate use only by project operators <br />and not total use of Federal range reSources in this vicinity.) <br /> <br /> <br />Crop Adaptations <br /> <br />The growing season is long enough for most field crops grown in Colorado. <br />The temperature is mild, even with the high altitude, and is quite <br />favorable for fruit, particularly apples, peaches, and sweet cherries. <br /> <br />Tte fruit-type farms are located in areas with the best air drainage. <br />The fruit-general farms are usually in areas of less favorable climate <br />for peaches and sweet cherries; therefore, apples are the main fl~it grown. <br /> <br />Soils within the project area apply no restriction on selection of crop, <br />except for steep slopes and stoniness. Much of the steep slopas are <br />protected from erosion by use of close-growing crops, such as he~y, <br />pastures, grain, or orchard with cover. Row crops produce well but are <br />restricted to the flatter land wi thout stones. <br /> <br />Soil Fertility <br /> <br />Good soil fertility maintenance practices are not applied by all operators <br />within the project area. Specialized farmers--mostly fruit grOlrlers-.;.employ <br />the most progressive methods ta maintain soil fertility. Shortage of <br />irrigation water has retarded the application of soil fertility <br />maintenance practices over the area as a whole. <br /> <br />Soil-building crop rotations are not used over much of the project area. <br />There is a favorable relationship, however, between sod-crops acreage, <br />such as alfalfa and pasture, with clean cultivated acreage. This <br />relationship is the resul t of the water shortage. <br /> <br />Commercial fertilizers ate used on most orchardland. The application <br />of commercial fertilizer on field crops, particularly h~ and pasture, <br />is not a general practice. LiVestock are few in numbers so organic <br />fertilizer is below the required amount to maintain high fertility or <br />production. Soils will respond to soil management practices. <br /> <br />~~gation Development <br /> <br />Early settlers found irrigation to be essential for successful farming. <br />Diversion faciHties were rapidly developed and by the turn of the century <br />practically all of the natural flow of the river and its tributaries had <br />been appropriated for irrigation and domestic uSe. To permit further <br />developlllent of irrigation, reset:'lfoirs were constructed on high trib'.ltary <br />streams and flood flows and winter runoff were appropriated far storage. <br />Such reset:'lfoir development, however, was limited by the character of the <br />various watersheds. All tributaries are steep in gradient, narrow, and <br />deeply entrenched and the reservoirs are of relatively small capacity. <br />During continued attempts to irriga~ more lands, new ditches were <br /> <br />~ <br />