At this location in the watershed the city becomes country and the farmers and ranchers rely on the river to irrigate crops and water their livestock. The average annual precipitation along the Northern Colorado Front Range is 15 inches, hardly enough to grow crops. Look west and you will see the solution. SNOW. The Rocky Mountains can accumulate up to 10 feet of snow throughout the winter months. In the Spring of each year the snow begins to melt and makes its way to the Big Thompson or Cache la Poudre Rivers. Some of this river water can then be diverted to lakes and reservoirs to be stored for a future use such as irrigation.
Agriculture uses a large portion of the water in the Big Thompson River. In the late 1920's Larimer County farmers grew sugar beets, pinto beans, wheat, corn, barley and alfalfa. They also grew apples, strawberries, raspberries, and green peas. In the early 1900's Larimer County produced two-thirds of Colorado's cherry crop. Today very few fruit crops are grown in Larimer County on a commercial basis. The emphasis is on corn, sugar beets, pinto beans, brewing barley, wheat and alfalfa hay. Producers rely heavily on irrigation to grow these crops, and must have a source of high quality water available during irrigation season.
The most common type of irrigation used by farmers in the Big Thompson watershed is the surface method. With this type of irrigation, water is applied to a field at the ground level. The water flows by gravity over the surface of the field. For close growing crops like grass, alfalfa, or small grains the entire field is flooded. For row crops such as corn, beets and beans, the water is diverted down the furrows between the rows. Water is applied at the top of the field through plastic pipe with small openings called gates or through concrete ditches with aluminum siphon tubes. The siphon tubes lift the water out of the ditch and place the water in the field.
In Colorado, agriculture is a major contributor to the state's economy. Agriculture provides for 86,000 jobs, 6.3% of the state's total, bringing in over $12 billion to Colorado's economy. In Larimer County, the market value of agricultural products produced is $100 million. In Weld County, the market value is $1.1 billion.
Good quality water and adequate water supplies are vital to those who rely on the Big Thompson River. |
