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<br />002425 <br /> <br />Studies have been done showing high nitrate levels in the upper 2 feet of the soil in <br /> <br /> <br />. . many areas.. Other studies show that high nitrate levels have resulted in reduced <br /> <br />nodulation in alfalfa plants. This in turn forces the alfalfa growers to apply additional <br /> <br />nitrogen to obtain high alfalfa yields. The diverted water from the Arkansas used to <br /> <br />irrigate in the watershed also has a high level of nitrates. <br /> <br />Nutrient levels are high due to not only commercial fertilizer application, but also from <br /> <br />manure application. Thora aro 8,approximately 40 cattle feeders am...in the <br /> <br />watershed. Management of the combination of nutrient sources is necessary to <br /> <br />.e.insure that the nutrient level applied is at the correct proportions. <br /> <br />The Department of the Interior has studied an area consisting of the Middle Arkansas <br /> <br />River Valley from Pueblo Reservoir, in Colorado, to Garden City, Kansas. and <br /> <br />includes the Highline Breaks area. Although the area is semiarid, the predominant <br /> <br />land use is agricultural. Extensive acreage is irrigated, primarily along the Arkansas <br /> <br />River and its tributaries and near off-channel reservoirs. Some irrigated soils are <br /> <br />derived from outcrops of marine shale formations, that under current climatic <br /> <br />conditions, can result in accumulation of selenium and other toxic trace elements in <br /> <br />soils and groundwater:s.2 Selenium is an element that deforms and kills fish, wildlife, <br /> <br />sheep, and horses. Eating too much contaminated fish or fowl, or drinking <br /> <br />contaminated water could be hazardous to human health. A number of plants take up <br /> <br />selenium which when eaten is toxic to livestock.3 <br /> <br />1 Reconnaissance investigation of water quality, Bottom sediment, and Biota Associated with Irrigation <br />drainage in the Middle Arkansas River Basin. Colorado and Kansas, 1988-1989. <br />3 Selenium in Agriculture, Agricultural Handbook No. 200, 1961 <br />W<5 <br /> <br />I <br />