WSP08768

• File Number: 8273.500
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control - Federal Agency Reports - EPA
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 7/1/1978
• Title: Implementation of Agricultural Salinity Control Technology in Grand Valley
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

w
o
o
loO:a

from various on-farm irrigation methods as a part
of this demonstration project;
4. utilization of drainage technology previously
evaluated in the Grand Valley; and
5. Utilization of the concurrent EPA research project,
"Irrigation Practices, Return Flow Salinity,
and Crop Yields," to predict the chemical quality
changes in the Colorado River resulting from this
demonstration project.
B. Determine the cost-effectiveness of each salinity con-
trol measure, various combinations of salinity control
measures, and the complete package of salinity control
technology for this demonstration project.
C. Conduct a two-day highly publicized field days.
D. Determine the best practicable salinity control tech-
nology for the Grand Valley, including valley-wide
cost-effectiveness.
E. Analyze effectiveness of loca1 administrative controls
in implementing salinity control technology.
1. Tai1water runoff control
2. Permit system
a. Individual farm
b. Lateral
c. Canal (Irrigation Co.)
d. Entire valley
3. Influent standards
a. Farm inlet
b. Lateral turnout
c. Canal diversion
F. Delineate the essential elements of an educational
program to transfer this information to other farmers
in the Grand Val1ey, along with farmers in other
irrigated areas of the Colorado River Basin.

This report covexs all of the above objectives except A3
and D. The succeeding report "Evaluation of Irrigation Methods
for Salinity Control in Grand Valley" covers objective A3. The
final report of this research program, "Best Management Practices
for Salinity Control in Grand Val1ey," is devoted to satisfying
objective D.

APPROACH

The principal study area in the Grand Valley, which has
been used for evaluating the effectiveness of canal and lateral
lining, irrigation scheduling, and tile drainage in reducing
the salt 10ad entering the Colorado River was also used in this
demonstration project (Figure 3). The advantage in continuing
to utilize this study area is that the hydrology is wel1 known.
There has been considerable expenditure of funds in both equip-
ment and personnel for instrumenting this particular demonstra-
tion area. The wealth of available information provides a

6