WSP07475 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 000824 producer of the Nation's food supply. Close to one-third of the U.S. wheat crop, one-fourth of the sorghum, one-fourth of the hay, and a fifth of corn grown for grain is produced within the basin. The region is also producing more than 20 percent of the Nation's livestock and poultry. Manufacturing activities in the basin are variedl but to a large degree reflect the economic predominance of agriculture. Food processing and the production of machinery for agriculture contribute substantially to earnings and employment. Collectively, the 10 basin States have more than 450 billion tons of recoverable coal reserves or about 55 percent of the Nation's total. All basin States except Nebraska and Minnesota contain substantial coal reserves that will become of increasing national importance. Land Use--Although substantial land holdings are retained in the public domain by the U.S. Government, more than 86 percent of the basin's lands are in private, Indian, State, and county ownership. Based upon estimates made for the U.S. Water Resources Council's 1975 National Water Assessment, approximately 298 million acres or 90 percent of all lands in the basin are used for agricultural purposes. Of this, more than half is for pasture and rangeland; a third is used for dryland farming, while irrigated cropland constitutes only about 4 percent of the agricultural total. Forest and woodlands make up about 8 percent, with urban and transportation lands comprising the remaining 2 percent. Water Resources--The Missouri River Basin is generally well endowed with surface and ground water resources. However, the occurrence and availabililty of water is highly variable, subjecting parts of the basin to recurrent and seasonal shortages. Overall, the water quality of basin waterways can be classed as "fair." -3-