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<br />-. <br /> <br />163,* <br /> <br />Chnptcr I.-_Introduction <br /> <br />Tho Gunnison-ArkarAas projoct nroa includes tho drainn~e bnsin of <br />the Arkansas ,liver in Colorc.do east of thCl Continental Divide !lrld the <br />Gun!1ison and Rooring Fork l:ivers wost of tho Continontnl Divido. ThCl <br />potential projuot plnn is to import unallocatcd water by moans of trnns- <br />basin diversions from tho -.iostern Slope area to thCl Enstern Slopo nroa. <br />The Gunnison-Arkansas preject would provide additional wnter to the East- <br />orn Slope for tho initinl irrig~tion of noW lend end would supply the <br />presently irri~ntcd,land with supplemontal water. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The major portion of tho lc.nd to recoivo supplomontal wator and tho <br />now Iv.nd to be bonufitod by initial irrigation is located in Fremont. <br />Puoblc, Otero, Crowley, Bent, nnd Prowors Countios. This group of coun- <br />ti0s will horeinafter be roferrod to as the "Six Principal Irrigated <br />Countius".l/Counties contiguous to the Six Prir.oipal Irrigatvd Counties <br />aro Bc.ca. Chaffee, Choyonno. Custer. Elbort, El Peso, Huerfc.no, Kiowa, <br />Lnke, Lc.s AnirrAB, Lincoln, and Toller. These counties will bo referrod <br />to colluctivcly as the "Tributc.ry Counties". A ninor portion of tho <br />land tc benefit from the Project is leco.ted in Chdfce. El rliRO, ..nd <br />lAke CountiQo. <br />As the potentic.l Gunnisen~rkr.nsas ProjGct ~ould divert wnter from <br />the .'Iostern Slepe ef COlorc.dci, the oxtent c.m sui tnbili ty of irrignblo <br />!elndS on tho ,Iostern Slope ho.V6 been in-,estigc.ted by Region 4 of tho <br />Bureau of Reolamation in ordot,"th:::. t optimum development of irriga.blo <br />land on the Western Slope of Colorado would be provided. The benefits <br />which would accruo to tho Hostox:n Slopo from development of !ldditiennl <br />irrig!ltion f!lcilitios ho.ve likQwiso boon invostig!ltGd by Region 4. <br />Toot p!lrt of tho benefits which....'iould c.ocruo to tho Hestorn Slope c.s a <br />rosult of the potential Gunni.on~kansns Project ho.s not boen includod <br />in this !lppondix. <br /> <br />-. <br /> <br />Tho E:\stern Slope nre!l is ono of the oldost :md nost productivo <br />irrignted regio:JB in the ilost. Tho cli:Jf.to, soil conditions, :\nd abil- <br />ity of tho fnmcrs on tho presently irriga.ted lend are such that ovon <br />though tho irrigntion Viator supply':1s in!ldoqu!lte (\nd undependablo tho <br />!lver~o agn~l gross crop'productio~ fram 322,000 acres of irrigated <br />land/iat~i';Ml't ,;12,800,000. Truok crops, c orlsisting of c!lnt!lloupes. <br />cucumbers both for rrnrkot and seod, honoydow molons, w!ltormolons, onions. <br />colory, c!lbbago, caulifl~ler, lottucd~ tornc,toes and !l number of other <br />vegctnble crops contribute a greater gross crop value than any othor <br />single crop. The annuo.l v!lluo of !lll 'truck crops is osti.J:Jltod to bo <br />about $3.663,000. The noxt mest ir.1pertnnt crop measured in terms of <br />gross crop vuluo is sug!lr boots, closoly followod by clfalfa hay. A <br />striking f!lct regarding tho vnluo of truok orops and sugur beets. crops <br />ranking first !lnd socond in gross crop vulue, is tho comp!lr!ltivoly <br />snell percentage of tho cultivated are!l they occupy. <br />\ <br />1/ This is the irrigated arpA studied in detail from seoondary <br />data and includes 322,000 ..ere. 'Cf the 409',554 o.cres classified as <br />irrigated in the Arkansas Valley in Colorlido. <br /> <br />3--- -- <br />