SU0013380 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

B. Agricultural Suitability Water is supplied to the farm operations from an irrigation district. The irrigated The row and field crop acreage on the row crops produced in the area typically Mountain House properties comprise less require 2-3 acre feet of water. than 1% of the total area used for row and field crop uses in San Joaquin and the Future expectations for the subject area, at eastern portion of Alameda County. The least as it relates to production of semi- pasture area is less than one half of one intensive or irrigated crops,is not good. percent of the total area available and in use. Irrigation water costs in the area are becom- ing prohibitive and for most crops exceed The crops grown in these categories have $100 per acre as opposed to other areas of been,on the whole, only mariginally the county with water costs of less than$25 profitable over the past several years. Most per acre. By contrast,the Delta area located of the crops produced on the properties to the north and northeast of the subject area comprising the Mountain House Area have has low water costs coupled with highly been in significant surplus supply condition. productive soils that make it more economi- These surplus supplies have placed signifi- cal to farm and in the long run more profit- cant downward pressure on the selling able from an agricultural viewpoint. prices for these crops and the returns to the growers. Additionally, most of these crops The area between Patterson Pass Road and have only been marginally profitable as a the City of Tracy is substantially more result of government support payments and developed than the project site. There are a other forms of subsidy. number of dairy facilities, several rural subdivisions and in general smaller, more The soils in the Mountain House Area, as intensive farms. This area is becoming compared to the areas east, south and north more popular for part time farmers and of the subject area, are of lessor quality and gentlemen farmers who also have outside productivity. The soil classifications as employment. determined by the United States Soil Conservation Service are predominately The area west of the project site is primarily class II and class III. The predominate soils devoted to native pasture used for grazing of are very deep and moderately well drained. range cattle. This area has been partially Water permeability is slow and water developed to facilities involved with power availability is high. These soils are best generation by means of wind turbines. suited to orchards; however, regular high These machines utilize the regular wind winds in the area make those uses unsuit- patterns of the area to turn the rotors which able. in turn produce electricity. These "wind farms" are developed on land Regional Setting 2.6