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

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At present, three major lumber mills operate in the San Luis Valley.
They are Douglas Studs, Inc. at South Fork; Pleasant Western LillIber,
Inc. at M:mte Vista; and Marion Mead and Associates at Antonito.
If interested in the oottonwoexi and aspen market, they might pro-
vide needed marketing research and financial backing to develop
the resource.

In surmaxy, the development of cottonwoods as a resource would
create a beneficial use of water that is being wasted. Marketing
and financial assistance needs should be studied before the
resource is studied in much greater depth.

The attitude of landowners is assurred to be favorable to selling
logs. It should be realized, however, that the incane to landaomers
may be 1= at the outset since a new industry in the area based on
cottonwood is entitled to a greater profit margin than an established
industry. Since forestry enterprises are quite ClOlll[Jeti ti ve, the
profit margin would probably have to cane from 1= sturrpage prices.
As the industry becomes developed and established it could make
greater returns to landcMners.

Cottonwood acreage by counties - approximately:

Costilla
Saguache
Conejos
Rio Grande
Alarrosa

4,000
3,000
8,750
6,500
2,750

GREASEI'iOJD AND RABBITBRUSH (Refer to Map-ll)

There are about 410,000 acres of brush within the Valley g:r:=ing
where the water table is within 10 feet or less of the ground surface.
This brush is oo11lJOsed mainly of greasewood (Sarcobatus) and rabbit-
brush (Chyrsotharmus) and is oonsidered to be of little value for
grazing. This brush is called chico locally, and though sare attaTpts
have been made to cut, grind and use it as a winter feed, the result-
ing costs and p:lOr quality feed have made this operation uneconomical.
Sane successful reclamation and grass seeding of the better soils
of this land have been done where water is available for irrigation.

The bulk of this chico land is in Saguache and Alarrosa Counties on
the east side of the Valley. There are small areas in Rio Grande,
Conejos, and Costilla Counties. About 192,000 acres oc= on salty,
sandy, and alkaline soils that are extrerrely erosive and not sui table
for irrigation. A carrparatively small area, about 41,000 acres, has
a water table below eight feet ll'Dst of the tirre so that water
salvage for irrigation by drainage would probably not be practical.

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