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<br />1713
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<br />FRYlNGPAK-ARKANSAS PROJECT, COLORADO
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<br />is used for grazing. Cultivuted lands comprise 10 percent, of the urea
<br />of \Iihich about onc-[ollI't.h, or 322,000 acres, is irrigated. The irrigntcd
<br />Innd txerts UIl extrl~mdy significant. influence on the economy of the
<br />valley. It stnbilizcs Lhe economy of lto nrea mRny times great.er than
<br />thnt, nr.tunlly irrignk.d.
<br />14. !vlnny il'l'igl1Jpd crops tHe gro\\."n successfully in t.he Arknnsas
<br />Vulley whe.n wat.Pr supplies Ul'l~ nde-qllllt.e. In the higher clL'nltions
<br />hay, tume pllst,lIrO, and small gl'llLIIS prl~dnllliTln,tc. They arc lIuukrtcd
<br />chiefly t,hrough livest.ock. The foothills u.n'lL in Fremont tllHl Puehlo
<br />Counties, in nddition to gl'-IWI'fi.l irrigllted crops, produce fruits, vine,
<br />nnd truck trops. Below Pucl)lo the principnl irrignted crops nre
<br />ulfn1fu, corll, grain sorghum, SUgH!' heds. bnrley nnt! whrat, truck
<br />crops, and dry helllls. CuntulollpS, onions, eucumbers, pic.kIlls, to-
<br />)]Hlt,(l('~, llnd red hpet,s. Hrc hi~lIiy surc(~ssflll t,ruek crops. Dnirying
<br />nnd }.loultr.v raising tHe import,ant rlltpl'prisl's IlPnI' market outlds.
<br />15, The size of irrigated farms YHrics from small truek farms nlld
<br />ol'clJlll'ds to gCJlc.rnl pl1rpOSl' fnrmR of scyerlll hunul'ed Heres. In ] 940
<br />the average irrigated flLrm below Snlida ennsisted of :356 llcres of which
<br />81 acres were irrigated. Irrig-ut.ed land nllucs rllllge up to $2,1)0 an
<br />ucrc depending upon sojJs nml Wflt.~J' rights. Gross crop vallH~s also
<br />ynry con5idernbly. On the bn:;is of ] 939-4-1 crop prices, the l1vernge
<br />irrigated gross erop yolues l'illlg-ed from $30 to $40 an fierI.' oYcr the
<br />crit.i('al Hl.'30-41 pt'f'iod. Sp(~cjHltr crops nnd sel~d erops often pro-
<br />vide gross returns many times the uYeragc.
<br />Hi. Nine-t.y-six percent of tlw. irrigated land in t,he Arknnsns Valley
<br />is identified as clns~es I und 2 according t.o Bureau of RecJamat,jon
<br />st.fl.ndal'ds. It. is of high t.o medium produetive capacity; COllsi~t~ of
<br />silty loam, e}ny loam, uHd clay soils: und generally hus good surfuce
<br />drninnge. Alkalinity and salinity HI'C not serious problems.
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<br />NEED FOR DEVELOPMENT
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<br />17. The Wf'stern slope' diversion area proper is fla tional forc~t land
<br />not. suitable for irrigntrion. Other nrpos in the Colorado Rivcr Basin
<br />have irrigated and il'l'igohln lands. Present water uses in w,-'st,ern
<br />Colorado will undoubtedly expand und IlP,W u~es may mfit.erialize.
<br />The incl'e,nscd uses ma~' result from expl1,IlSiOll of i.rrigation urId from
<br />such pot.ential industrin[ dexeIopments as milling-, hUll/wring, woo<1
<br />pulp product,ion, and oil shnle refining. Invest.igntions of t.he
<br />Gunnison-Arkansas project w(~re huse(l upon t,he pl'incipll~ that
<br />all present and potenti111 uses of Colornuo River watL'r in the
<br />nut.uml bu~in in Colol'fldo must Le pro tretp,d. Extensive st.udies hy
<br />the BUrt~llU and hy c:ommittees appointed by the Colorndo \Val,eJ'
<br />Conser\'lltion Bonrd confirm the existence of n ple_ntiflll supply 1)[
<br />\VuteI' in t.lle diycl'sion area. The sl,udics also substnntint,e t.IIC COll-
<br />cJusion tlll1 t. pRrt. of I,hn t, wn I,cl' <:nll fl'usibly be diycrt.cd wit-holl t
<br />det,riIlH~nt, to the dive!'sion nl'eR, or to ot.her cxisting find potenLilll
<br />woter uses on the west.erll slope~even though complete future wllter
<br />rcquirement,s for ull possible uses cnnno!. be forcse(~.!1 for nil of \\'t~stl'rn
<br />Colorado. The relntively smnll diversions proposed foJ' t.lw init,inl
<br />developmcnt-replneed i;l t.ime, quuntity, find plnce by U )'('sp.l'voir
<br />J]Nll' Aspen nnd hy judiejolls opeJ'flt.ion of t.he pl'Oject. based on dIe
<br />operating principles hereinufter seL fort.h-will not, impuir the future
<br />'e('onomie growt.h of t.lw '\-'estern slope. harm present. water llsers, or
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