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• under a high level of management (irrigated): corn silage - 22 tons/acre, alfalfa hay - 5.5 <br />tons/acre, grass hay - 4.5 tons/acre, oats - 80 bushels/acre, and barley - 110 bushels/acre. For <br />the Progresso series (map unit 30C), the following values may be attainable under a high level of <br />management (irrigated): corn silage 18 tons/acre, alfalfa - 5 tons/acre, grass hay - 4 tons/acre, <br />oats 70 bushels/acre, and barley - 110 bushels/acre. Interviews during 1987 with the operator <br />managing the cropland areas indicated that the actual yields are much lower. It was estimated <br />by this operator that corn silage production was 13 tons/acre, barley was 60 bushels/acre, with <br />wheat as high as 30 bushels/acre; all values indicating a lower level of management applied or <br />reflecting poorer site conditions than what the soil survey indicates, or a .combination of both. <br />Observations of the condition of these cropland fields during 1987 support the contention that <br />these lands receive only an average level of management at best. <br />The cropland areas in the western portion of the permit area have been managed by Mr. Frank <br />Morgan for approximately 20 years (personal communication, August 1988). During that period <br />he has not managed for any yield level, has not maintained any formal data on yields, and has <br />many times used the lands for grazing and haying of annual grains. The lands have also been <br />• (allowed periodically. Recent examples are the fallow condition of the fields in 1987 and the last <br />minute decision to graze seeded annual grains by sheep in 1988. The Agricultural Stabilization <br />and Conservation Service (ABCs) office in Montrose, Colorado has no historic farm based yield <br />numbers for the cropland fields within the permit area (personal communication, ASCS office <br />August 1988). <br />Mr. Morgan estimated that the cropland within the western portion of the permit area yields about <br />60 bushels per acre for barley and 20-25 bushels per acre for winter wheat. Mr. Zene Weimer, <br />one of the better farm operators in the Nucla area, was contacted because of his familiarity with <br />the lands in question (personal communication, August 1988). Surprisingly, his independent <br />estimate of yields for the cropland area in the permit area was similar to Morgans. An estimate <br />of potential grass hay production may be gained from evaluation of the hay fields just north of the <br />cropland areas within the permit area (discussed earlier in this section). These hay fields have <br />similar site conditions and soils as the cropland areas, the majority being mostly Progresso <br />complex soils (Map Unit 30C). The hayland north of the cropland in the permit area is dominated <br />by grasses. Table 2-5 in Peabody Appendix 10-2 shows estimated hay yields for these fields to <br />• (REVISED 8175/OD) 2.04.10 - 46 <br />