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IU f I ! 1 ; STATE OF COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 1525 Sherman Street Denver, Colorado 80203 (303) 839-2811 ~[J;:~~.'~';: (~~-~- .-.... /,(C",., )" g'{ J~;; 4.'. ;980. .] ~.---- COLa ~;':. ., C" .' CONSE . "i I i.:.ii RVATlON BOARD January 23, 1980 MEMORANDUM TO: Bill McDonald, Director Water Conservation Board Jim Rubingh, Colorado Department of Agriculture~ AGRICULTURAL LANDS TO BE IRRIGATED AS A RESULT OF THE ANIMAS - LA PLATA PROJECT FROM: SUBJECT: The Draft EIS makes the following statements about the suitability of the project land for irrigation: "Approximately 15,000 additional acres in project area would meet all criteria for farmland if given a full water supply." the prime (C-ll) "The soils of the full and supplemental service land in the project area are suitable for irrigated agriculture because they are relatively free of soluable salts and drainage problems and have good texture." (B-8) In total the project will irrigate some 70,100 acres: 21,480 acres of irrigated farmland will receive supplemental irrigation water and 48,620 of dry farmland will receive full irrigation water (50,000 acres are in La Plata County; 12,000 acres in Montezuma County; and 8,000 acres in New Mexico). The 15,000 acres which will be classified as prime as a result of this project repre- sents approximately 21 percent of all the lands which will be irrigated (12,000-13,000 acres in La Plata County, 2,000-3,000 acres in New Mexico; Indian Lands in Montezuma County were not evaluated for reclassification to the prime category). It is important to realize that often times agricultural land which is not classified as prime can still be very productive under proper management practices. The Soil Conservation Service in Durango reports that such is the case with much of the land in the Red Mesa area. Although, it may not be considered as prime, even with supplemental water, it is high quality agricultural land. > Richard D. Lamm, Governor Morgan Smith, Commissioner Donald Svedma&n, Deputy Commissioner Agricultural Commission Henry Christensen, ROggE!n Ben Eastman.. Hotchkiss John Malloy, Denver :1 Elton Miller, Fort Lupton Don Moschetti, Center '. ., . r,<- , ~'i William Stephens, Gypsum William Webster. Greeley Clede Widener, Granada Kenneth Wilmore, Denver ~ ! ~ . 1., i ,. ~, . '~ I~ .,-;.