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<br />o <br />o <br />~ <br />w <br /> <br />identified a salt load reduction goal of 132,000 tons, The USDA program includes the installation <br />of on-fann salinity reduction practices and lining or piping certain off-farm lateral systems which <br />are needed to support the on-farm improvements, Implementation was initiated in 1979 under <br />existing USDA authorities, and in 1987 funding became available under the USDA Colorado River <br />Salinity Control Program and is continuing under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program <br />(EQIP), ' <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Uinta Basin (Reclamation and USDA): The area covered by the Uinta Basin Unit in <br />northeastern Utah contributes about 450,000 tons of salt annually to the Colorado River, Return <br />flows from 204,000 acres of irrigated land account for most ofthe salt contribution, Projects in this <br />area may apply under Reclamation's new Basinwide Program, Several proposals are under <br />consideration at this time, <br /> <br />USDA published the Uinta Basin Salinity plan in 1970 and in 1987 prepared a supplement <br />to include lateral systems, In 1991, the Uinta Basin Unit was expanded to include treatment on <br />adjacent irrigated land, The plan identifies a salt load reduction goal of 106,800 tons, The USDA <br />program includes the installation of on-fann salinity reduction practices and lining or piping lateral <br />systems, The major emphasis is conversion of inefficient surface irrigation to sprinkler systems, <br />Implementation was initiated in 1980 under existing USDA authorities and in 1987 funding became <br />available from the Colorado River salinity control program and is continuing under EQIP, <br /> <br />Lower Gunnison Basin (Reclamation and USDA); The Lower Gunnison Basin Unit is . <br />located in west-central Colorado, An estimated 360,000 tons of salt are contributed annually to the <br />Colorado River. Public Law 98-569 authorized portions of the unit for construction by Reclamation. <br />Construction of the winter water portion of the unit is designed to eliminate ditch seepage during the <br />non-irrigation season by providing a piped delivery system forlivestock water, This component was <br />completed in 1996 and is estimated to reduce salt loading by 41,380 tons/year, Studies on ways to <br />reduce costs of the canal and lateral lining portion of the project have been completed, These <br />measures would reduce salt loading by an additional 64,000 tons/year and may apply for funding <br />under Reclamation's new Basinwide Program, <br /> <br />The Lower Gunnison Basin USDA plan, updated in 1994, identifies a salt load reduction goal <br />of 166,000 tons, The USDA program includes the application of on-fann salinity reduction practices <br />and improving off-fann irrigation laterals, Implementation was initiated in 1988 and is continuing <br />under EQIP, <br /> <br />Bi~ Sandv River (USDA); The Big Sandy River Unit is located in southwestern Wyoming, <br />Below Big Sandy Reservoir, water is diverted to irrigate lands in the Eden Project. Irrigation <br />seepage into shallow aquifers near the Big Sandy River is the source of saline seeps, These seeps <br />and springs below the Eden Project contribute about 1 16,000 tons of salt, and tributaries contribute <br />about 48,000 tons of salt annually to the Green River, <br /> <br />The USDA Big Sandy River Unit plan was published in 1988, The USDA salinity control <br />program consists of converting 15,700 acres of on-fann surface irrigation to low-pressure sprinkler . <br /> <br />4-6 <br />