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<br />w <br />o <br />,,:. <br />"" <br /> <br />Bureau of Land Management <br />Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program <br />Accomplishments for Fiscal Year 1996 <br /> <br />Arizona <br /> <br />The central Mojave County soil survey progress consisted of field checking and intetpretation of <br />previous year's data, map legend and report preparation. Along the Lower Colorado River <br />corridor, removal of 106 burros from the Cibola-Trioga Herd Management Area (HMA) and <br />another reduction of 260 head from the Black Mountain HMA saved 22 tons of salt. The plan to <br />improve forage cover by 20 percent by 2015 in these HMA is on schedule. <br /> <br />In the Strip District, Fort Pearce watershed improvements continued. Grazing reductions on the <br />17,000 acre Sunshine Allotment produced 880 tons of salt savings; A grant application was <br />submitted to the Arizona Water Protection Fund for permanent repair of the Flat Top Dam, as part <br />of the Fort Pearce effort. The projected temporary salt savings FY -96 for Flattop dam temporary <br />repair is 17 tons/year. <br /> <br />Colorado <br /> <br />Colorado identified more than 35,000 acres of moderately to highly saline .soils in Mesa County, in <br />cooperation with the NRCS.. The Duckin Pond wetland development was constructed in the Grand <br />Valley-North Desert area, in cooperation with Reclamation'soGrand Junction Projects Office. This <br />pond, located \12 mile north of Road 19, generates wildlife mitigation credits for Reclamation, and <br />some salt reduction benefits associated with improved livestock distribution and decreased animal <br />impacts to the Highline Canal banks. <br /> <br />The San Juan Resource Area staff continues to work at Dry Creek Basin on last year's EP A Section <br />319. grant money, including the construction of two livestock watering ponds of l\bout 3/4 acre-foot.. <br />each which will improve .livestock distribution. One ground water well was constructed in the San <br />Miguel area, for stock water to improve' distribution. . <br /> <br />Southern Colorado range allotments (Uncompahgre and San Juan areas) suffered from severe <br />drought conditions this year, making surface water for livestock simply non-existent, and denying <br />the plant cover necessary to support licensed livestock use. About 30 percent of cattle pennittees <br />have had to take: off their cattle earlier than normal this year, and even with the hope of normal Jail <br />precipitation, falYwinter/spring use restrictions are in place. Good communication with livestock <br />operators, Resource Advisory Councils (RAC), Forest Service and the state agencies has led to <br />minimal conflicts. <br /> <br />'The Montrose Field Office has discovered a well that BLM assumed responsibility for from a <br />mineral exploration company in the 1970's has blown out below the casing, and is again in need of <br />plugging, in Disappointment Valley. Both the concrete surface plug (1979) and a more recent <br />rubber seal have failed, and saline water may be entering other formations below the shales. <br /> <br />14 <br /> <br />