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<br />25 <br /> <br />crops grown in the Valley (1.81 for cantaloupes, citrus, cotton, carrots, lettuce, <br /> <br />onions, sorghum, and tomatoes). <br /> <br />A net requirement of 1.75 acre-feet and an overall efficiency of 38.3 percent <br /> <br />indicates a need for 4.57 acre-feet to be supplied for crops. If the average rain- <br /> <br />fall of 2.02 inches can be depended upon each year, this would mean 2.55 acre-feet <br /> <br />must be supplied from the Rio Grande ( although some water will be pumped from wells) . <br /> <br />Diversions from river will equal 95 percent of releases from Falcon. <br /> <br />When water was plentiful, water use in the Valley averaged 2.36 acre-feet from <br /> <br />the Rio Grande, indicating that this amount is sufficient for needs. An allotment <br /> <br />of 2.50 acre-feet per acre per year would appear adequate, without being so pI en- <br /> <br />tiful as to retard development of more efficient farming practices. <br /> <br />Water Allocation <br /> <br />The available water needs to be allocated in an amount, per acre, that will <br /> <br />allow for a 'sound agricultural economy. The number of acres to be allotted water <br /> <br />may vary from the 550,000 that were in cultivation at time of signing of the treaty, <br /> <br />to the 600,000 that were in cultivation at time of completion of Falcon Dam and <br /> <br />water storage began, to the 780,000 now under declared cultivation, or to another <br /> <br />number of acres. <br /> <br />The estimated quantity of water available annually depends upon the risk of <br /> <br />shortage to be taken. Considering the long time, 1900-64, (or short term, 1945-64, <br /> <br />if preferred) flow of the Rio Grande indicative of the future, for nine years out <br /> <br />of 10, or for 90 percent of the time, there will be 800,000 (520,000 for short <br /> <br />period) acre-feet or more available, and 50 percent of the time 1,500,000 (1,290,000) <br /> <br />acre-feet; 1,640,000 acre-feet will be available 43 (34) years out of every 100. <br /> <br />There is no reasonable quantity that is absolutely assured; such a quantity does <br /> <br />not exist. A decision must be made as to the risk to be assumed. A reasonably <br /> <br />"safe" quantity is the 1,395,000 acre-feet average U. S. share for the past 10 <br /> <br /> <br />years; 58 (45) out of every 100 years the flow should be this much or more. While <br /> <br />, ,. r -t' <br />'II..... ", , <br />'..,. -,_ """ ...... "_ .L <br />