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LOGAN COUNTY, COLORADO Dix soils are deep, somewhat excessively drained soils on ridges and knobs. Eckley soils are deep, well drained soils in mid slope positions. All are underlain by sand and gravel at less than 20 inches. Chappell soils are deep, well drained soils on alluvial fans and foot slopes. They are un- derlain by sand and gravel at depths of 20 to 40 inches. The minor soils in this unit are the deep, well drained Wages and Altvan soils. They occur as small areas on the smoother side slopes where deposits of loamy materials mantle the gravelly Ogallala Formation. This unit is used mainly for grazing and wildlife. A few small areas of Chappell soils are used for nonirrigated cropland. The potential for nonirrigated and irrigated cropland is poor mainly because of the slopes and high water erosion hazard. The unit is well suited to grazing. The potential for urban uses is good to fair. Slope is the primary limita- tion. The potential for development of rangeland wildlife habitat is fair. Broad Land Use Considerations Logan County is a diversified agricultural area used mainly for irrigated cropland, nonirrigated cropland and rangeland. The major change in land use is toward irriga- tion. Each year a considerable amount of land is developed for irrigation. During the past few years ap- proximately 12,000 acres has been developed for pump ir- rigation, mainly sprinkler type. Small acreages are being developed for urban uses, mainly adjacent to and west of Sterling. Areas of severely eroded nonirrigated cropland, especially in areas of low precipitation, have been seeded to grass and are used for grazing. The soil map for general planning is helpful in planning the general outline of major land uses in the survey area. The potential for additional development of irrigated cropland is predicted on the availability of underground water or surface water. The proposed Narrows Dam or similar structures on the South Platte River will provide water to meet this potential. The Dailey- lulesburg unit has been developed into an important sprinkler irrigated area. The remaining range areas of this unit have a good potential for sprinkler ir- rigation. The potential for sprinkler irrigation in the ad- joining Valent unit is limited by the scarcity of un- derground water, high soil blowing hazard and slope. The Nunn - Satanta - Haverson unit is an extensive ir- rigated cropland area with nearly all areas used for crops. The potential for additional irrigated cropland in the Alda - Loveland - Fluvaquents unit is limited by wetness, flooding, and soils shallow over sand and gravel. The Wages - Satanta -Norka unit is an important ir- rigated area, but the potential for additional irrigated cropland is limited by the scarcity of underground water. This unit will also require canal sealing, lined irrigation ditches and drainage systems to minimize the seepage problem. 11 Some small scattered areas are used for irrigated cropland in the Platner -Rago- Rosebud and Weld- Platner- Ascalon units. The potential for additional irrigated cropland is limited by the scarcity of underground water. Some small scattered tracts are used for sprinkler irriga- tion in the Haxtun- Julesburg unit. Additional acreages can be developed where underground water is located. The remaining upland units have a poor potential for ir- rigation development, mainly in that they lack available water. Most areas suitable for nonirrigated cropland are being used for this purpose. The most extensive acreages are in the Haxtun-Julesburg, Platner -Rago- Rosebud, Weld - Platner- Ascalon, Norka - Ulysses - Colby, and Wages- Satan- ta -Norka units. The potential for additional nonirrigated cropland in the county is limited to scattered small tracts of deep, nearly level and gently sloping soils in those units. These small tracts are usually near farmsteads and are used for grazing. On some nonirrigated cropland in the Manter- Ascalon- Vona, Norka- Ulysses - Colby, Rosebud - Escabosa- Canyon and Stoneham- Cushman - Shingle units strongly sloping soils that are moderately to severely eroded are best seeded to grass and used for grazing. Most units on the uplands have some deep, nearly level to gently sloping arable tracts, but too small and scattered to be used as nonirrigated cropland. Soil units that are well suited to rangeland use are the Mosher - Lebsack, Valent, Dailey- Julesburg, Mitchell- Keota, Rosebud - Escabosa- Canyon, Dix- Eckley- Chappell, and Stoneham- Cushman - Shingle. These are very impor- tant in cattle raising and feeding in the county, providing large amounts of forage for grazing. Scattered range areas are common in other units in the county, usually on the steeper and shallower soils. Eroded nonirrigated cropland is best seeded to grass and used for grazing. Nearly all of the soils are well suited to grazing. The potential for continued productive grazing on rangeland can be maintained and improved by using range manage- ment practices. Areas unfavorable for urban development are not ex- tensive in the survey area. Large parts of the Alda -Love- land- Fluvaquents unit, however, are subject to flooding and water table conditions and are severely limited. The Ustic Torriorthents - Badland unit also is severely limited for homesites and road locations because of steep slopes and shallow soils. Other units, such as the Rosebud - Escabosa- Canyon, Mitchell - Keota, and Stoneham -Cush- man- Shingle, contain soils that are limited by depth to bedrock. The Valent and Dix - Eckley- Chappell units have soils that are limited by excessive seepage. Currently most urban development is in the vicinity south, west and north of the city of Sterling. Most soils in this area are favorable, requiring only a few compensat- ing measures. The moderately well drained Nunn clay loam and some seeped soils lying below irrigation canals are wet and require special compensating measures.