Garfield County News | 1955-02-24 | Page 25 | Deeded Land in Pasture

Deeded Land In Pasture MEEKER, Colo. There are J.-088,320 acres in Rio Blanco county, ore-third of which are deeded, and 92 per cent of the deed land Is used for pasture, four per cent for hay and two per cent for small grains. Irrigated valleys and dry farmed mesas produce excellent crops. Water is plentiful for irrigation in Rio Blanco county and the average rainfall at Meeker is about 17 Inches with an average of 25 inches on the higher lands. Millions of tons of bituminous coal lie in the Mesa Verde sandstones of the region between Meeker and Craig, which in the future may prove to be a source of liquid fuel through hydrogenation. Asphaltum, gilsonite, bodies of fire and potters' clay can be found in Meeker and the surrounding area. A mountain of pure-white crystalized gypsum lies Just east of Buford. Uranium, vanadium, lead and tine deposits are numerous through, out northwestern Colorado. Uranium prospecting and mining is a wide open field in this region where Independent and large interest operations are going side by side.