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<br />V. IMPLICATIONS OR EFFECTS IF PROBLEMS ARE <br />NOT SOLVED <br /> <br />The implications or effects if problems are not solved have <br />been summarized by the States of the Rio Grande Region as follows: <br /> <br />COLORADO <br /> <br />Problem Area 1, ASA 1301. <br /> <br />(1) Water Issues. - The average annual withdrawal of irriga- <br />tion water is 133.1 MGD (149,000 a. f.) short of meeting the re- <br />quirement for a full supply for irrigation of 338,750 acres of crop, <br />pasture and meadow l,and. The U. S. Bureau of Reclamation, in their <br />studies of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project determined that the value <br />of an acre-foot of supplemental irrigation water in the Arkansas <br />River Valley was $27.80 (1967 prices) on the farm. This appears to <br />be a conservative value to be used in th~. San Luis Valley. Thus, <br />the on-farm increase in income by producing 149,070 a.I. of supple- <br />mental irrigation water would be $4,144,146. It was determined in <br />the Nebraska Study "Impact Analysis of Irrigated Agriculture on <br />Nebraska Economics, 1969-70," by Nebraska Economic and Busines8 Re- <br />port No. 8 (see reference No. 5), that the on-farm, direct, and <br />indirect and stemming from ec,onomic value was 7.58 times that of <br />the on-farm. Assuming such an economic gain ratio is applicable <br />here, it would amount to $195.56 per acre-foot or a total of <br />$29,152,130. An increase of this amount of money in the local, <br />regional and State economy would be of great benefit, especially in <br />the economically depressed San Luis Valley where there is a large <br />unemployed farm labor force. <br /> <br />An increase in the streamflow in the fall each year would pre- <br />vent deterioration of the fisheries due to flows below the optimum <br />required for that purpose. Elimination of the mine pollution of <br />Kerber Creek would return about 20 miles of the stream to its natural <br />state as a prime fishing stream. <br /> <br />(2) Related Land Issues. If provlslons are not made to drain <br />the Closed Basin into the Rio Grande, there will be a continued in- <br />crease in wet lands, 10ss of water by evaporation and by phreato- <br />phyte growth, and sal t 'accumulations on agricultural land. The <br />authorized Closed Basin Project will alleviate these problems as <br />well as providing other benefits. The project pIan is to drain <br />the Closed Basin into the Rio Grande by a system of canals, and <br />thereby eventually salvage 90.0 MGD. The salvaged water would go <br />to ameliorate the effects of the Mexican Water Treaty and the Rio <br />Grande Compact. Presently, water uses in Colorado are being cur- <br />tailed to meet these commitments and repay Compact debits by- ~'~ .; <br />IJ .,...... <br /> <br />71 <br />