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<br />oo~'(}g~ <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />THE PHREATOPHYTE PROBLEM iN COLORADO <br /> <br />Phreatophytes are water-loving plants that grow mainly <br /> <br /> <br />along stream courses where roots reach into the capillary <br /> <br /> <br />fringe overlying the water table. There they are able to ob- <br /> <br /> <br />tain unlimited supplies of water for growth. The most common <br />phreatophytes occurring in Colorado are saltcedar, willows, <br /> <br />cottonwood, alder, and saltgrass. <br /> <br /> <br />In general, phreatophytes consume large amounts of water <br /> <br /> <br />sorely needed for irrigating agricultural crops and for muni- <br /> <br /> <br />cipal and industrial purposes. Estimates for the Western <br /> <br /> <br />United States indicate 16 million acres now infested with <br /> <br /> <br />phreatophytes may discharge 20 to 25 million acre-feet of <br /> <br /> <br />water into the atmosphere annually. The phreatophyte problem <br /> <br /> <br />has long been recognized and many persons who have dealt with <br /> <br /> <br />it believe that the high consumption of limited water supplies <br /> <br /> <br />by phreatophytes is one of the most serious water problems <br /> <br /> <br />facing the irrigated West. <br />Saltcedar is recognized as one of the most serious phreato- <br /> <br /> <br />phytes as it spreads rapidly, is difficult to control, and con- <br /> <br /> <br />sumes large amounts of water. For example, on the Pecos River <br /> <br /> <br />in New Mexico, the first seedlings were reported in 1912; by <br /> <br /> <br />1914, saltcedar covered 600 acres; by 1939, it covered more <br /> <br /> <br />than 15,000 acres: in 1950, about 32,000 ac~es, and at present <br /> <br />Ji .""~~ <br />