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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />! <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />fj!)11?'O <br /> <br />SECTION 3 <br />CURRENT AGRICULTURAL SETTING <br /> <br />3.1 Location and Climate <br />The Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservations are located <br />in the southwestern corner of the State of Colorado, bordering on the <br />states of New Mexico to the south and Utah to the west. The Ute Mountain <br />Ute Indian Reservation has a land area of approximately 415,000 acres, <br />while the Southern Ute Reservation encompasses approximately 315,000 acres. <br />River drainages within the boundaries of the reservations include the <br />Navajo, Mancos, La Plata, Animas, Florida, Los Pinos, Piedra, and the San <br />Juan watersheds. The topography of the reservations consists primarily of <br />mesas and plateaus interspersed with river valleys. Elevations on the <br />reservations generally range from 4500 feet to 10,000 feet. <br />Growing seasons on the reservations range from less than 80 days at <br />higher elevations to over 160 days at lower elevations on some valley <br />floors. The climate is considered semi-arid, with mean annual rainfall <br />ranging from 7 to 25 inches. While climatic conditions in some parts of <br />the reservations are conducive to dry land farming, better yields can <br />generally be obtained through irrigation. <br />3.2 Current Non-Indian Agricultural Production <br />The Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Indian Reservations lie within <br />Colorado Water Division Number 7. This district contains approximately <br />185,000 acres of irrigated land devoteG to agricultural production; <br />however, relatively little irrigated land is located on the two Indian <br />reservations. Excluding the Los Pinos drainage, where Indian water rights <br /> <br />14 <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />ii____" <br />