438 A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



Owing to the stand of coniferous timber occurring on the higher elevations of 

 this region, the severity of erosion has been considerably lessened, but it is 

 obvious to even the lay observer that the removal of this protective forest would 

 result in even a more serious condition than is now so prevalent on the lower 

 slopes. * * * 



Severe overgrazing within the timbered areas has been observed by the for- 

 esters of the Indian Service throughout the southwest region and the destruc- 

 tion of young growth through the activities of hungry sheep and goats is a matter 

 of common occurrence. The continuance of this overgrazing to this degree will 

 eventually result in the destruction of the forest and the serious erosion of the 

 present forested areas. 



Efforts are being made to establish management that will overcome 

 the present unsatisfactory watershed conditions on the 8,493,000 

 acres or so of timber, woodland, and mountain brush lands in Indian 

 reservations in the basin. 



The most serious erosion and flood situations within forested areas 

 on the Colorado River watersheds exist on the 5,998,000 acres of 

 forested land in the unreserved public domain. Conditions are es- 

 pecially bad in the pinon-juniper woodland, the principal forest type. 

 The public domain should at once be placed under public administra- 

 tion. On these lands and on much of the State and private land 

 intermingled with them, unregulated grazing has led to excessive 

 depletion of the undergrowth. Trees and even brush have been 

 heavily cut, especially around mining camps, and forest fires are 

 seldom controlled. Administration of the Federal lands that will 

 restore a satisfactory forest cover is essential. 



Conditions on most private lands in the basin are little if any 

 better than those on the public domain. Overgrazing has seriously 

 depleted the herbaceous cover, fires ordinarily burn uncontrolled, and 

 the cutting of trees is seldom managed with a view to regeneration of 

 the timber cover. Rapid run-off of w r ater and abnormal erosion ac- 

 cordingly are prevalent. Education of private landowners as to the 

 effects of abuse of watersheds is badly needed. Public acquisition of 

 about 2,800,000 acres of lands having a major influence will probably 

 be necessary in order to restore forest cover conditions that will 

 afford the necessary watershed protection. 



Within the public forests 150,000 acres of devastated land should 

 be reforested and artificial re vegetation with soil binding grasses or 

 shrubs is needed on 200,000 acres. 



UPPER RIO GRANDE BASIN 



The upper Rio Grande Basin, including the Pecos River drainage 

 (see figs. 6 and 12) has an area of about 169,000 square miles in west- 

 ern Texas, New Mexico, and southern Colorado, and an area of more 

 than 50,000 square miles in northern Mexico. Approximately 27,281 

 square miles (nearly 17,460,000 acres), or 16 percent of the portion 

 of the watershed within the United States, is classed as forest land. 



WATERSHED PROBLEMS 



The most important watershed-protection problems in the upper 

 Rio Grande Basin are accelerated erosion, the destructive flood 

 menace, and the demand for adequate water for irrigation. 



This basin was settled by the Spanish as early as the sixteenth 

 century. While the settlements were mainly concentrated in the 



