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Show LOWER COLORADO RIVER DISTRICT Utahns residing in the Lower Colorado River District live with a frequent threat of water shortage. They know the value of conservation. Without it, many would be forced to find another place to earn a livelihood. Some sections of the District are blessed with a long growing season. That is another reason why farmers have learned to conserve their water supply so carefully. To reap the greatest benefit from their land, they need to be able to irrigate earlier and later than most growers in other regions of the State. In the northern portion of the District, most of the activity has been in Beaver County where a dozen projects have developed more than 14,000 acre- feet of water a year. Cost of this conservation exceeds $ 2 million. That money was used to develop supplemental water for 12,125 acres and bring another 1,300 acres under cultivation for the first time. Not so much money was invested in conservation either in Garfield or Iron Counties where the opportunities to develop water were not so great. Nine projects in Garfield County resulted in conservation of 11,000 acre- feet of water. This is used to provide supplemental supplies for 12,650 acres. The water developed by Garfield County projects also permitted irrigation for the first time of 1,400 acres. One project in the county developed water for domestic use. In Iron County, Newcastle Reservoir Company was one of the more progressive firms dealing with the Board of Water Resources. That cooperation was responsible for a reservoir dam, spillway channel and feeder canal, canal lining and finally enlargement of the reservoir's active capacity from 3,000 to 5,000 acre- feet of water. The 8,000 acre- feet of water conserved in Iron County is applied as supplemental water to 6,000 acres. Board activity in Iron County has resulted in irrigation for the first time of 50 acres of land. - 26 - |