WSP07511 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

CHAPTER I SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Description of Study Area Loe at ion The Grand Mesa project area is located in west-central Colorado, within the Upper Colorado River Basin. It consists of that part of Delta County that lies within the Grand Mesa and North Fork Water Conservancy Districts. The towns of Cedaredge, Hotchkiss, and Paonia and the Orchard City incorforated area which includes the connnunit ies of Eckert, Cory, and Austi~/, are within the area shown on the General Map. The larger connnunity of Delta, is within 5 miles of the area's southern boundary. Project features would be located in Grand Mesa National Forest and on public domain and private lands. The project area extends from the top of Grand Mesa south to the Gunnison River, a . principal tributary of the Colorado River. The project area is shown on the General Map at the front of this report. Natural characteristics The headwaters of all streams within the project area are on Grand Mesa, a high mountain plateau with elevations ranging over 10,000 feet. The top of Grand Mesa is dotted with numerous lskes and reservoirs, many of which have been built or enlarged by private interests to furnish storage for irrigation water. The project service area is characterized by two large and several minor mesas that border stream valleys. Project lands lie in the valleys and on adjacent mesas that slope in a southerly direction from the base of Grand Mesa toward the North Fork of the Gunnison River and the Gunnison River. The service area lands range in elevation from 5,400 to 7,400 feet. Most of the lands are either on mesas which break off sharply near the major drainage channels of the area, or in narrow valleys or basins carved the mesas. Except for 4,100 acres requiring drainage, project lands have natural features conducive to good drainage. Detailed land classifications surveys indicated that 25,110 acres of arable land in the project area are presently irrigated and 12,170 acres are nonirrigated. Approximately 6,510 acres of land are classified as Class 1, 19,240 acres as Class 2, and 11,530 acres as Class 3, for a total arable area of 37,280 acres. 11 Orchard City is an ll-square mile rural area that has incorpo- rated- to facilitate the development of such things as a domest ic water system and improved fire protection. The unincorporated communities of Eckert, Cory, and Austin lie within the Orchard City boundaries.