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SUMMARY (Continued) Construction of the project modifications would have a negligible effect on area services. Since most of the construction workers and their families already live in the county, no increase in services would be necessary to accommodate them. Effects on the irrigation system The project modifications would improve the efficiency of the MVIC system. The system would be improved by lining existing lateral sec- tions, abandoning the Rocky Ford Ditch and tower Hermana and Highline Ditches and combining their flows in the Towaoc Canal, and installing a closed pipe lateral system from the Towaoc Canal to the Rocky Ford Ditch service area. The new lateral system would develop gravity pressure, making sprinkler irrigation possible for that area. This use would, in turn, allow for greater crop yields. The increased effIciency of the MVIC system would reduce conveyance losses by an average of 7,900 acre- feet per year. Consultation and Coordination Public involvement Throughout the study phase on the project modifications, the general public and interested and affected agencies, groups, and individuals bad the opportunity to participate. Reclamation considered the information, opinions, and expressed desires of the public in evaluating project development and the salinity problem. Federal, State, local, and private interests, including the MVIC, the DWCD, and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, participated as members of planning teams by attending meetings and through personal contact. Reclamation coordinated with and received assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Soil Conserva- tion Service, the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, and the Colorado Division of wildlife. Reclamation provided general in- formation on project development to local people through newspapers, radio programs, graphic displays, and public meetings. Issues and implementation During the study of the project modifications, a number of issues and recommendat ions were made by various agencies, groups, and the public. The following paragraphs discuss the issues raised and their implementation or resolution. McElmo Canyon residents, who depend on return flow from the Montezuma Valley for part of their irrigation supply, expressed their concern that if salinity control measures are implemented, the upstream return flows may decrease. Reclamation believes that these f arme rs, who irrigate approximately 500 acres, would realize no significant change in water supply with the construction of salinity control features. S-14