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<br />The 1970 Census of Populationll shows median family income in the <br /> <br />area ranges between $7,000 and $10,000 per year. In the study area, 15% of <br /> <br />the households are below the poverty level, 55% earn between $2,500 and <br /> <br />$10,000 a year and 30% earn more than $10,000 per year. The largest <br /> <br />earnings by economic sector are local, county, state and federal government; <br /> <br />agriculture; wholesale and retail trade; mining and services. <br /> <br />The largest employer in the project area is the wholesale and retail <br /> <br />trade sector which employs almost one out of five working people in the <br /> <br />region. A close second, with 19 percent of those employed is the profes- <br /> <br />sional and related services sector. The agriculture, forestry and fisheries <br /> <br />sector also are major employers in the region with 16 percent of all <br /> <br />employed. Together, these three sectors employ 55 percent of the working <br /> <br />population. The other major employing sectors in descending order are <br /> <br />mining, construction, transportation-communication-utilities, and public <br /> <br />administration. <br /> <br />Current estimates indicate a gradual growth in the overall number of <br /> <br />jobs in the project area. Employment trend estimates perceive that the <br /> <br />number of jobs in agriculture will decline. All other sectors are expected <br /> <br />to increase. The top employing sectors are expected to be wholesale-retail <br /> <br />trade, services, government, mining and construction. <br /> <br />Present Land and Water Uses <br /> <br />Irrigated agriculture, man's most intensive use of the land and water <br /> <br />resources in the valley, is well suited to the area. Three primary crop <br /> <br />groups comprise the agricultural activities (See Table III-4). Pasture and <br /> <br />livestock feed crops occupy about 55 percent (92,300 acres) of the area, <br /> <br />small grains and row crops are grown on about 39 percent, (66,700 acres) and <br /> <br />fruit orchards and other crops occupy about 6 percent (12,000 acres). <br /> <br />II <br />- Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce. <br /> <br />001229 <br /> <br />III-II <br />