WSP07035

• File Number: 8509
• Description: San Luis Valley
• State: CO
• Basin: Rio Grande
• Water Division: 3
• Date: 12/1/1969
• Title: Irrigation Water Management Study of the San Luis Valley Colorado - PART 1 of 2
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

while still preserving rrost of the other desirable qualities of
the type. 'lhis would yield about 30 million board feet of ini-
tially available material. Mature trees reach a height of about
70 feet at an estimated 60 years of age. Tree diarreters at this
age seem to average about 20 inches d.b.h. These figures indicate
an annual gratlth of slightly rrore than one million board feet in
the study area.

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In addi tion to the cottonwoods along the Rio Grande River, the
local office of the U. S. Forest Service estimates an annual grcMth
of about 4-1/2 million board feet of aspen. Aspen is similar in
rrechanical properties to cottorMOOd. By conbining the aspen resource
of the Rio Grande National Forest (which is not being utilized at
present) with the river bottcrn type, a total of between five and
six million board feet are available annually on a sustained yield
basis. The two areas ccnplernent each other since the aspen areas
can be worked in the surmer and fall and the cottonwa:)(]s in the
winter and spring.

The cottonwood type of the San Luis Valley is located mainly along
the Rio Grande River from Alarrosa to South Fork, and along the
Conejos River for about 10 miles west and five miles east of
Antonito. These are the major areas, though some trees are
available along canals and ditches throughout much of the irri-
gated area.

If used for production of lurrber, cottonwood is an excellent
material for shipping pallets, cable reels, ammunition shipping
and carrying cases, bridge decking, and other uses where a tough
long fibered wood can be used. An advantage of the cottorMOOd
type is that it can be harvested practically year long in the
San Luis valley, ccnpared to the seasonal harvest of tinber products
in the higher rrountains.

There is some demand in the local area for pallets, but a broader
rrarket is needed to fully utilize the cottorMOOd resource. First
need for development of the cotton=od resource is a marketing
study. Marketing advise is available fran the Forest and Range
Experiment Station at Fort Collins and the Colorado State Forest
service.

Scme risk capi tal ~ be needed to establish a going business. It
may be necessary to establish the business before being able to bid
on some contracts, such as military supplies. The Fanners Home
Administration and Small Business Administration have made loans
for this type of enterprise.

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