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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />During the early 1950's, land leveling was completed and greater acreage <br />devoted to alfalfa and silage crops. From 1952 through 1954, the farm was <br />leased to tenants who maintained some acreage in sugar beets, which were again <br />replaced with alfalfa when Mr. Broyles resumed farm operations. A 1957 aerial <br />photograph indicates approximately 1,490 acres irrigated in that year with <br />nearly th~ entire acreage under border irrigation. All subsequent aerial <br />photos indicate level border as the predominant irrigation method. <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />During the late 1950's, there was a substantial increase in irrigated <br />acreage, from less than 1,500 to more than 1,700 acres. The newly reclaimed <br />lands were. located primarily near the Arkansas River and in Section 35 to the <br />north and east of the feed lot. This increase in acreage corresponds with the <br />installation of the Broyles irrigation wells. <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />From 1961 through 1965, the farm was again leased to tenants who resumed <br />sugar beet production on a portion of the farm. A 1964 aerial photograph <br />indicates irrigation of approximately 1,767 acres for this period. In the <br />June, 1965 flood, a substantial portion of the farm was damaged, although most <br />of the crops were salvaged. A number of the irrigation wells were also <br />damaged by flood waters, necessitating the installation of replacement wells. <br />During the fall and winter of 1965 - 1966, the Keesee Ditch system was <br />reconstructed to its present configuration and re-leveling of flood damaged <br />areas was begun. During re-leveling operations, a substantial portion of the <br />farm was planted in barley. By mid-1967 the re-Ieveling was essentially <br />complete and the majority of the acreage was returned to alfalfa production by <br />1968. <br /> <br />During the period following the flood, additional acreage was added to <br />the system. A 1970 aerial photo indicates a total of approximately 1,855 acres <br />under irrigation in that year, while a 1980 photo indicates a maximum acreage <br />under the 4itch of about 1900 acres. During the period of 1968 through 1978, <br />Mr. Broyles estimates that between 1,300 and 1,450 acres were maintained in <br />alfalfa production, with the remaining acreage in corn, milo and winter <br />grains. As a conservative average, Mr. Broyles estimated that approximately <br />70 percent of .the acreage was devoted to alfalfa, with the remainder split <br />fairly evenly among the other crops during that period. At the time the farm <br />was again leased to tenants beginning in 1979, Mr. Broyles recalls about 1,425 <br />acres in alfalfa. <br /> <br />In 1979 Mr. Broyles leased the farm to the present tenants, Gill Farms. <br />Records of crop acreages for the period of 1979 through 1983 were obtained <br />from the ~SCS, and from Gill Farms for the period of 1984 through 1987. An <br />aerial photo taken in 1983 indicates approximately 1,737 acres under active <br />irrigation, with the reduced acreages in this and subsequent years <br />attributable to government set-aside programs. <br /> <br />Throughout the 1950 through 1987 study period, the Keesee Ditch diversion <br />records indicate a fairly consistent pattern, with average diversions in the <br />range of 11 to 14 cfs during the irrigation season. Mr. Broyles indicates that <br />under typical conditions, two out of the three main ditch laterals would be in <br />use with a ,total of three or four fields being irrigated at a given time. For <br />lower than 'average diversion rates, only one or two fields might be irrigated, <br />while higher than average diversions would allow for more of the ditch system <br />to be used. He indicated that one field per 3 to 4 cfs of headgate diversion <br />was a typical ratio under the Keesee system. In addition to the typical <br /> <br />2 <br />