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historically attempted is of no significance to agriculture in the region (only supported <br />• five to ten acres) and has since been abandoned. <br />There is very little potential for developing additional irrigation along either upper <br />Grassy Creek or Sege Creek. The upper portions of the streams are too narrow to develop <br />significant irrigated fields. It would be necessary to move the stream channel to one <br />side of the valley or the other, fill the existing channe L, end smooth the existing valley <br />deposits. Also, all of the existing dryland vegetation would need to be removed. It <br />could noT be feasible to try to develop hay fields on the existing topography because <br />access for equipment would be too difficult, especially in portions of the valley where <br />the stream is so deeply incised. The capital expenditures for developing fields in these <br />valleys is probably too high to be cost effective. In the lower portions of Sage <br />Creek it is not likely that enough water would be available to flood irrigate any <br />additional acreage. Rainfall runoff hydrog raphs show very little change at monitoring <br />sites along Sage Creek. This statement is based on the discussion presented in Tab 7, <br />Streamf low. The bas eflow during the growing season is very low and in the drier years is <br />zero (based on Sites YSS2 and WSS F3. No farmer is going to spend the money to develop <br />wider, flatlying fields and a conveyance ditching system if the water will not be there <br />• during the dry years or the flows are so low during normal years that flow conveyance and <br />ditch maintenance would be difficult at best. Those areas that can be subirrigated, have <br />been. The remaining areas ere too narrow, too boggy for equipment, or the terraces sit <br />too high above the alluvial water table. <br />The types of crops grown on the fields that do exist indicate that water availability is a <br />limiting factor and that natural salt levels also affect what can be grown and where. <br />Throughout western Colorado, valley bottoms are used for hay production, if there is <br />enough water present. The Yampa River Valley is en excellent example of an irrigated hay <br />production area. Alfalfa hay commands the highest price per bale and when conditions are <br />favorable, this is the hay crop of choice. Grass hay is grown on the less favorable sites <br />and this is the crop one finds on a significant number of the fields included in this <br />study. The grasses tend to be somewhat more tolerant of salty conditions. <br />Conclusion. Exhibits 16-2 end 16-3 present the geomorphic and irrigation use/water <br />availability information, respectively, for the Upper Grassy and Sage Creek drainages. <br />r 76-3-5 Revised 06/19/95 <br />