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<br />CHAPTER I <br /> <br />SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS <br /> <br />Following the national trend, the number of full-time agricultural <br />enterprises in the area has decreased in recent years. In the project <br />area, the decline is the result of a fluctuating water supply, late- <br />season water shortages, and the conversion of agricultural land to <br />reaidential and recreational use. <br /> <br />Agricultural development suffers from inadequate irrigat ion sup- <br />plies. The natural flows of streams which now supply the area are <br />adequate only during. the spring snowmelt season, and falls short of <br />meeting irrigation requirements. Also, Grand Mesa lakes and reservoirs <br />provide only a portion of the storage needed to fully meet late season <br />requirements. Irrigation shortages for the project area have averaged <br />about 25 percent annually, and the limited water supply has limited crop <br />yields and has precluded development of additional arable lands. <br /> <br />Since irrigation is fundamental to successful agriculture in the <br />area, any plan that will provide an adequate water supply through the <br />entire growing season will significantly improve the stability of the <br />project farms and will provide opportunity for agricultural expansion, <br />especially the fruit industry. <br /> <br />Recreational use on high forest lands on Grand Mesa is increasing <br />each year. In 1980 there were approximately 900,000 recreational visits <br />in the Grand Mesa National Forest compared with 513,000 in 1970, and <br />visitations are expected to increase in the future. The full potential <br />of recreational opportunit ies, however, cannot be real ized at present <br />because many of the lakes are drawn down in the summer and fall to <br />provide water for irrigation use, diminishing their fishery, esthet ic, <br />and recreational values during periods of greatest recreational needs. <br />Stabilization of the lakes would add to the beauty of the area and <br />increase the late season water surface area available for recreation. <br /> <br />At present, most of the homes in the Grand Mesa Project munic ipal <br />and domestic service area are served by piped domestic systems. Some of <br />the systems are owned and operated by Cedaredge, Orchard City, and the <br />Upper Surface Creek Water Users Association. The domestic water is <br />obtained from several springs on the south slopes of Grand Mes,a and <br />stored in tanks to meet requirements during periods of peak demand. <br />During drought periods, however, restrictions must be imposed on the use <br />of domestic water. <br /> <br />Some o,f the, other homes in the area obtain domestic water from <br />wells or nearby springs while others haul water from nearby communities <br />or from streams and canals and store it in cisterns. In 1961, a domestic <br />water distribution system, supplied from natural springs, was constructed <br />to serve a major portion of the project area. This system is capable <br />only of satisfying the current needs for domestic water in most areas, <br />and is inadequate in dry years to serve Orchard City. <br /> <br />There is strong loc al support for the project. The Grand Mesa <br />District was formed April 19, 1961, to be the contracting entity along <br />with the existing North Fork District, which was formed earlier to be the <br /> <br />4 <br />