Economic Significance of Water Supply

Attachment No. 2, Lower Colorado River Basin Project, Economic Significance of Water Supply for Homes, Industry, Agriculture, page 15AGRICULTURAL IMPORTANCE OF LOWER BASIN More than a billion dollars worth of vital food crops, fibers and vegetable oils are produced in the lower basin annually. The fact that we have this production now is highly important, but the prospects that we might not have it in the future is alarming. The pre-emption of water for municipal and industrial usage is already taking place as cities expand out over the farm areas, and as the declining water table makes pumping for agriculture uneconomic. The outgrowth of this situation, if allowed to proceed uncorrected, would be to lose the rich agricultural base which is important economically in the lower basin. This loss would be everyone's loss, moreover, because of the Nation's wide dependence on this area for many vital crops. Reference to the chart shows that a high percentage of several important crops are produced almost exclusively in the lower basin. Dates, lemons and avocados cannot be efficiently grown in other parts of the country. Our winter production of lettuce would be virtually wiped out if irrigation water were fully depleted in the lower basin. To list but a few, celery, cantaloupes, sweet corn and carrots would be scarce to the point where prices would be prohibitive for the typical consumer during the winter. No small credit is due our semitropical producting areas of the West for their contribution to the balanced diet, hence glowing health, of the U. S. people. The availability, at all seasons and at reasonable cost, of these body-building fresh foods is due in large part to the irrigation of our southwestern desertlands. The intensity of farming, together with the relatively high value of the crops, enables the lower basin area to produce 4.4 percent of U. S. crop values on. 7 percent of the cropped acreage. This is an indication of the highly efficient use of land and irrigation water. A market exists for more produce than our domestic Southwest now grows. This shows up in the fact that the U. S. market presently calls forth imports of 65 million dollars worth of farm produce, principally winter vegetables (melons, tomatoes, peppers, peas, and so forth) from irrigated areas south of the border of Arizona and California. In terms of production of those crops temporarily in overabundant supply, the lower basin is a minor contributor because of the capacity of its agriculture to shift to products in current demand. Referring to cotton production in Arizona and California, the Department of Agriculture has stated "... historically, the amount of cotton acquired by the CCC from these areas is relatively small, the majority of this cotton moving freely in market channels." In 1963, Arizona left 8 percent and California 1-1/2 percent of their cotton crop in CCC stocks as compared with the U. S. average of 39 percent.Epson Perfection 4870 Photo, 400 dpi, 8 bit, 1,604,689 byte