Tribal Farming Enterprise Drought Vignette

 The 2021 Drought is threatening the economic viability of the 7,700 acre Ute Mountain Ute Tribe Farm and Enterprise for the first time in its 28 years of operation:  

• The 10% water supply in 2021 allowed for the full operation of only 8 pivots (611 acres) of corn with 102 center pivot fields fallowed early in the season.  

• Farm employment was cut by 50% from 40 to 20 employees

• High quality dairy alfalfa is the most profitable and water intensive crop. With alfalfa fields fallowed, crop revenues plunged resulting in projected losses in 2022 of Two Million Dollars.  

• The Bow and Arrow Cow Herd was cut from 680 bred cows to 580 with no access to grazing on crop aftermath.  Slide 3

• The fallowed pivot fields totaling 6,000 acres will take a least 2 years to re-cultivate and replant.

The Tribal Farm is a centerpiece of the Ute Mountain Ute portion of the Colorado Ute Indian Water Rights Settlement ratified by Congress in 1988.  The Tribe subordinated 1868 Winter’s Rights claims on the Mancos and Dolores Rivers to get the 7,700 acre irrigation allocation from the Reclamation Dolores Project as well as clean water for drinking and economic development for the first time in the Tribe’s history.  To protect our farm, for which the Tribe gave so much, we have taken the following steps: 

The Tribal Farm devoted limited water to 8 pivots in 2021 to producing corn for the Bow and Arrow Corn Mill, which was able to keep all 12 employees and continue to grow this value-added business. Slide 5

• The Farm secured funding from the NRCS to replace end of life pivots with 17 highly efficient state of the art pivots, and re-nozzling of 31 pivots in ‘21 and ‘22, providing work for remaining field crews. The crews are also installing micro-hydro units in field laterals to power headquarters assisted by the Colorado Energy Office 

• The Farm generated $1.5 million in non-crop income (crop insurance, drought payments, covid payments etc.) in 2021, which combined with income from crops grown in 2020 to carry $2 million in cash into 2022 to replant 3,700 acres and manage the remaining 4,000 fallowed acres.

• The Tribe is working with Reclamation to exercise a provision of the Water Rights Settlement to authorize Reclamation to assume O&M costs, totaling $818K in 2021 and 2022, using a “viability formula” to determine when the Farm will reassume these costs.  

Strategies Going Forward:

• Adjust cropping to match water availability

• Grow enough corn to support the Bow and Arrow Corn Mill

• Grow triticale as a low water use forage for cows

• Pilot alternative water saving crops e.g., certified hemp seed.

• Continue to pursue pivot and delivery system efficiency improvements via USDA and Infrastructure Bill funding

• Meet viability criteria and re-assume O&M Payments

What would you do?  Are there innovative drought solutions you could come up with?