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Page 7 <br /> SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS <br /> LAND USE AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT <br /> Present Land Use <br /> Land use in the study area may be divided into four broad cate- <br /> gories: <br /> 1. Irrigated cropland <br /> 2. Dry cropland <br /> 3. Range and grassland <br /> 4. Urban and public use, such as highways and cities. <br /> The majority of the land in the study area is devoted to some form of agri- <br /> culture. The irrigated cropland is located primarily in the central and <br /> northeastern part of Baca County and is concentrated heavily between Two <br /> Buttes and Walsh. Presently, irrigated cropland comprises less than <br /> three per cent of the total area. There is some irrigation from the surface <br /> supply in Two Buttes Reservoir, but most of the water comes from under- <br /> ground sources. <br /> The majority of the study area is devoted to dry cropland. This <br /> type of land occurs primarily east of Pritchett and north of Campo. Approxi- <br /> mately half of the land is used for this purpose, some of which is adaptable <br /> to irrigation if sufficient water is available. <br /> The land becomes less suitable for agricultural purposes to the <br /> west and south. Most of this land is presently only useful as range and <br /> grassland. The canyons to the west are included in this category. <br /> Lands devoted to urban and public use are of minor significance <br /> in the study area. <br /> Agriculture of the Area <br /> For many years the principal agricultural product of the area <br /> was livestock. There has been a shift to drouth tolerant dryland crops <br /> and, with the advent of irrigation, to higher paying crops which require <br /> more water. Principal crops are sorghums, wheat and broom corn. Sugar <br /> beet production has gained in recent years. <br />