SUPPLEMENTAL STATEMENTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF

AGRICULTURE

LAND-USE ADJUSTMENT

(Submitted by E. O. Wooton, Division of Land Economics, Department of Agriculture)

Problems of the adjustment of agricultural land use in the Gulf coastal region arise mainly, in the five eastern drainage basins, from attempts to use poor lands, that are highly erosive, too intensively, or are due to poor adjustments of a farming system to insufficient acreages. This generalization is also partly true in the eastern one of the west gulf-coast basins and not at all true of the westernmost onethe Rio Grande Basin.

East gulf-coast area. These problems in the five eastern basins are in almost every case closely associated with the particular land-use areas (of Barnes and Marschner's map, partial copy attached),' which do not coincide with the drainage basins but cut directly across them in roughly parallel, interrupted belts that run east and west. Four major-use areas are found in different proportions in each drainage basin, which, taken together, constitute roughly 55 to 60 percent, 20 to 25 percent, 10 to 12 percent, and 3 to 5 percent, respectively, of the total area of the five basins. Of the east Gulf coast area probably not over 10 to 12 percent of the lands grade above 5 in a scale of natural productivity ranging from 1 to 10 for the lands of the United States, recently devised for use in United States soil surveys, but not yet published. Grade 5 is considered "fair" for the uses now being made of the lands in farms. Lands of grade 6 in this scale are reasonably productive when fertilizer is added, and grade 7 lands are somewhat less usable for crops when fertilized, but those of grade 8 are of doubtful utility and lands in grades 9 and 10 are too poor to grow crops. In the east Gulf coast area the lands fall into these grades in approximately the following proportions: Grade 5, 16 percent; grade 6, 50 percent; grade 7, 21 percent; grade 8, 3 percent; grades 9 and 10, none.

It is therefore evident that any sort of readjustments of land use in this region must be considered from the standpoint of lands that are only slightly associated with the water control of the region, except as changes in farm practices may be important factors in the control of run-off and of soil erosion. The individual land-use problems of this region should proceed in accordance with a plan of land utilization which will take account of our national requirements for crop, pasture, and forest lands, and which will consider the local readjustments in their national aspects. Local balance in the areas in tilled crops, grassland, and forest is without doubt necessary in this large area, but such adjustments can hardly be closely related to drainage basins.

1 Not printed.

Replacing crop land by pasture or forest involves substituting a less intensive for a more intensive use of land. The less intensive use of the land will support fewer people, hence such a substitution will result in population displacement. Any plan must make some satisfactory disposal of these displaced people. The determination of best land. use, with all its social and economic implications, requires careful and discriminating consideration of each particular case instead of sweeping generalizations for a region.

The west Gulf coast area. The problems that are important in the east Gulf coast area carry over to some degree into the lower Trinity and Brazos Basins, but are scarcely to be considered in the upper parts of these basins or in any of the others of the west Gulf coast basins. A larger area of land, much more of which is of better quality, larger farm units, a less dense population, climatic and soil conditions that are less uniform and which determine possible intensity of use of the lands more definitely, all these factors taken together relieve the region. of many of the more common problems of land use. The land-use areas are largely either so good that there is no doubt about their being good for crop farming or so poor that they are with equal certainty not farm lands at all and can only be used in large units for range grazing with occasional small isolated tracts in forage crops that are used by the animals that graze the surrounding lands. Certain of the tillable lands that have good soils but insufficient rainfall can probably be best used as grazing lands, but the selection of such lands is a local problem, demanding the same careful investigation that is necessary for the retirement of some of the crop lands of the east Gulf coast area. Four of the west Gulf coast drainage basins (not including the Rio Grande Basin), have a gross area about 20 percent greater than the 5 eastern basins and fully double the amount of crop land of better than grade 5. In these four basins the land in farms constitutes about 82 percent of the total land area. Of the land in farms 1 percent is grade 5, 30 percent is grade 6, 16 percent is grade 7, 8 percent is grade 8 and 8 percent is in grades 9 or 10. Practically all the grade 8, 9, and 10 lands are used as grazing land. Optimism shown in attempts to dry-farm lands that should be used as grazing land appear locally, but are not confined to any one region or basin.

Overgrazing is occurring on considerable of the lower grade lands in the drier western parts of both the Brazos and Colorado Basins. These lands are either privately owned or State lands.

The Rio Grande Basin.-The Rio Grande Basin is an area to itself, a considerable part of which lies in Mexico. Practically all its landuse problems that concern good crop land are closely dependent upon the control and use of the water of the river and its tributaries. Widely scattered small areas that receive enough rainfall to make dry farming locally possible are found on (1) the slopes and benches of the high mountains surrounding the San Luis Valley in Colorado, (2) foothill mesas and interior valleys in the mountains which enclose the river basin in northern New Mexico, (3) in similar localities on the east slopes of the Sacramento Mountains in southeastern New Mexico in an area which furnishes much of the water to the Pecos, and (4) on the delta of the river at its mouth in Texas.

About 10 percent of the total area of the basin lying in the United States is high mountains, more or less timber covered and mostly in United States national forests. A considerable area of mountainous

land that was formerly forested is contained in Spanish grants and not included in the national forests. It is discussed elsewhere in the report.

Approximately 10 percent of the basin is classed as capable of being tilled but having a rainfall that is so uncertain in quantity and erratic in seasonal distribution that crop farming on the best of it is of doubtful permanence. Probably 80 percent of the area inside the outer boundaries of the basin in the United States is classed as arid grazing land. At least one-fourth of this grazing land area (one-fifth of the basin), is an enclosed basin or bolson that has no outside drainage and is not properly a part of the Rio Grande catchment area, though it is usually included.

The valuable agricultural lands of the basin occur in separated parts of the lower flood plain of the river, lying at different altitudes above sea level. These areas are small when compared with the total area of the basin, and are entirely dependent for their high productivity upon the waters of the river for irrigation. In the main river channel four of these major areas have been independently developed, each at a different time and in its own way. Altitudinal differences among these areas are rather marked and the resultant climatic conditions largely control the type of agriculture. These four projects are known as (1) the San Luis Valley of Colorado; (2) the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, in which Albuqerque, N.Mex., is nearly central; (3) the New Mexico-Texas (U.S. Reclamation) project, with El Paso, Tex., about central; and (4) the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, on the delta of the river at its mouth. Alamosa, Colo., near the center of the San Luis Valley, is at about 7,300 feet altitude; Albuquerque is at about 5,000; El Paso at 3,700; and the lower valley 150 feet or less. The soils in all these valleys are alluvial deposits rich in mineral salts, locally too well supplied with such salts.

The Middle Rio Grande project has been settled and irrigated more or less since pre-Columbian times, having reached its maximum development of 124,800 acres about 1880. The New Mexico-Texas project was settled first in early Spanish times but has expanded to its present limits of 155,000 acres on the American side (and probably 20,000 acres on the Mexican side), since the building of the Elephant Butte Dam in 1915. Development in the San Luis Valley commenced about 1890 and the Lower Valley of Texas began its agricultural development about 1900. The area irrigated in the San Luis Valley in 1929 was about 550,000 acres and the area for the lower valley of Texas the same year was about 450,000 acres. (Census figures.)

Only one of these projects has its supply of irrigation water under satisfactory control (the New Mexico-Texas project), all of them are suffering, three of them seriously, (1), (2), and (4), from poor drainage, and two of them, (2) and (4), need flood control badly. None of them has developed much hydroelectric power though such development is ultimately possible and would be beneficial to the people on these projects in various ways. None of the improvements now being considered and immediately needed in these valleys anticipates anything but the restoration or better control of the use of agricultural lands formerly or now in use and already listed in the productive area.

Besides these projects there are two other major projects in the Pecos River Valley (the main United States tributary of the Rio Grande), as well as several other smaller projects that are referred to elsewhere in the report.

Concerning the large area of arid grazing land included in the basin (and the bolson), the outstanding need is some sort of control which will temporarily reduce the number of animals allowed to graze on it and allow the native forage plants to come back to their former density. This is a conservancy measure of the utmost importance and will be beneficial not only to the forage crop and the livestock industry but will be of major effectiveness in one form of erosion control.

Such range control is only possible in New Mexico and Colorado when legislation establishing some sort of regulation of the use of the public domain is passed by Congress. Existing laws allow a use of the public domain which makes impossible the care of all grazing lands both public and private, compelling them all to be used as an open range, thereby placing a premium on abuse. This statement does not apply to Texas whose lands have been used, mostly in fenced units, by individuals for many years, but without State or other regulatory supervision.

(An accompanying map is on file with the committee and has not been reproduced.)

CROPPING CHANGES

(Submitted by Dr. A. J. Pieters, Bureau of Plant Industry, Department of

Agriculture)

It is known that the basins of the four rivers flowing into the Gulf in the area east of the Mississippi River are all highly erosive. The basic principle underlying erosion control is to cover the soil with vegetation. This may be forests or grass or other forage vegetation. In some cases engineering works may be sufficient. How far the substitution of grass for cultivated crops can be recommended will depend entirely upon slope and other features which can be determined only after a detailed survey is made.

The Bureau of Plant Industry favors for the present the continuance of the cropping systems now used with such modifications as may prove desirable in each basin and with the further recommendation that assistance through Federal funds be given to the farmers in any river basin finally selected by the cabinet committee in order that the land may be properly terraced, that a system of strip-cropping be instituted where feasible, and that where desirable the land be put into forests, into grass, or some permanent grazing crop. If action along the lines suggested is taken, consideration should be given to the problem of long-term control of the areas protected at Federal expense. The form of such control may be left for future

consideration.

In the Gulf drainage basin west of Louisiana conditions are semiarid to arid. Here erosion is a serious menace and is largely due to the depletion of grass cover due to soil erosion. The underlying remedy is controlled grazing. If this is adopted measures may be devised to hasten the recovery of the grass cover or to establish other vegetation.

The length of time this will take will be roughly proportional to the research and propagation work that may be feasible with the funds provided. At present these funds permit preliminary work only.

FORESTRY

(Submitted by W. R. Chapline, Forest Service)

In the Gulf drainage area there are 119,292,000 acres of forest land, 32,063,000 acres of which has a major watershed-protection influence, and 25,890,000 a moderate. (See map attached.) In general the major influence areas include the upper half to two-thirds of the east Gulf drainage basins, as it is here that the topography is most broken, and a forest cover is necessary to hold the soil, check rapid run-off during heavy rains, and safeguard municipal, power, and other water supplies. The forests of the Gulf drainages are also valuable for recreation, wildlife, and miscellaneous resources, but are especially important for timber and naval stores. These latter industries are a major factor in the community welfare of the South. The present estimated stand is 140,000 million feet board measure.

Watershed-protection values have been recognized by the legislation, appropriations, and Federal policy governing the administration, protection, and utilization of the national forests under the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture. Under the Weeks and Clarke-McNary Acts purchases of forest lands have been going forward at the headwaters of several streams and in badly eroding areas in the east Gulf section. Other acts have provided for cooperation with States and other agencies in fire protection and reforestation, and for facilitating the development of forestry. All of these provisions are in harmony with A National Plan for American Forestry, Senate Document No. 12, prepared pursuant to Senate Resolution 175 (72d Cong., 1st sess.).

There are at present several million acres of national forests at the headwaters of the Rio Grande in Colorado and New Mexico, at the head of the Apalachicola and Warrior Rivers in the Appalachians, and in Florida.

Practically all of the timber in the Gulf region, however, is privately owned and because of extensive lumbering in the past is now largely second growth. Much of the present forest land is not satisfactorily stocked because of unnecessarily severe cutting practices, rather frequent and damaging fires, and in some areas severe over-grazing. Only 20 percent of the entire forest area in the region is now protected from fire. If the forests are to serve in the social and economic life of the region as they are capable, they must be made much more productive. Problems both of timber production and of watershed protection are largely private land problems.

The most critical situation is in the Piedmont, upper Coastal Plain, Clay Hills, and the southern end of the Appalachian mountain chains in the east Gulf section. The hilly character of the land, the erosible loams and clays, the destruction of cover, and the frequent torrential rains all play a part in the unsatisfactory conditions. Mismanagement of lands cleared of forest for agriculture has resulted in widespread erosion and rapid run-off. Land abandonment is proceeding