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<br />CHAPTER I <br /> <br />INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />surveys and investigations by SCS are authorized under Public Law 83-566 <br /> <br />with added planning authority under Public Law 93-320. <br /> <br />o <br />w::.. <br />o <br />00 <br /> <br />The Big Sandy River Unit is one of the diffused source control <br /> <br />areas mentioned in the Salinity Control Act, and therefore, the USDA <br /> <br />through the SCS investigated problems and formulated alternative plans <br /> <br />to reduce salinity from the irrigated area. <br /> <br />The overall objectives of the SCS study (SCS, 1980) were to deter- <br /> <br />mine the contribution of salt loading from the irrigated cropland and <br /> <br />related upland range areas and to determine the opportunity for reducing <br /> <br />salt loading to the Big Sandy River and the downstream river system. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The SCS investigations were carried out using information developed <br /> <br />from ongoing assistance programs and from research and demonstration <br /> <br />projects by Reclamation, EPA, Science and Education Administration, <br /> <br />Office of Water Resources Research and Technology, University of Wyo- <br /> <br />ming, and the Wyoming Natural Resources Board. <br /> <br />An interdisciplinary <br /> <br />study team and local coordinating committee also assisted in the inves- <br /> <br />tigation. <br /> <br />A wide range of alternatives was evaluated during the course of the <br /> <br />study, varying from no unit action, which would not reduce salt loading <br /> <br />from the area, to various levels of irrigation water management <br /> <br />including irrigation retirement, which provided greatest salinity reduc- <br /> <br />tion benefits. Alternatives included those requested by the local coor- <br /> <br />dinating committee and those to meet objectives for national economic <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />11 <br />