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<br />Big Sandy River, Wyoming <br /> <br />w <br />o <br />.... <br />"'! <br /> <br />Implementation has been underway in ihis unit since 1988. During 1996, 15 new salinity control <br />contracts were approved for a total of 91 salinity control contracts underway with farmers. There <br />are 12 applications pending approval. The application of salinity reduction and wildlife habitat <br />replacement practices is moving ahead very well. In this area, farmers are converting from surface <br />flood irrigation to primarily low-pressure center pivot irrigation systems for salinity control. <br /> <br />Two center pivot systems were installed by farmers in 1996. A total of76 center pivot systems <br />have been installed since the inception of the project. <br /> <br />Planning and Investigations <br /> <br />Price-San Rafael, Utah <br /> <br />No further activities in the project are planned until the Bureau of Reclamation and USDA funding <br />decisions are made and wildlife, wetland habitat, and depletion charge payment issues are resolved. <br />As of this time, the Record of Decision has not been issued for the project. <br /> <br />San Juan River, New Mexico <br /> <br />A salinity investigation has been completed on irrigated lands along the SlUl Juan River in New <br />Mexico from the vicinity of Fruitland, westward to Cudei. This area, consists of about 8,.400 <br />irrigated acres within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation. <br /> <br />Findings from the investigation were published in a verification report in July 1993. The findings <br />indicated that irrigation in the unit is contributing to increased salt loading of the San Juan River <br />which ultimately flows into the Colorado River. It is recommended that the unit be studied further <br />to produce an irrigation plan that will reduce irrigation return flow and salt loading to the San Juan <br />Ri\:er. No further progress was made in FY-96 on any planning activities in this potential project <br />area due to the shrinking budget of the USDA program. <br /> <br />Monitoring and Evaluation <br /> <br />Monitoring and evaluation activities continue in the Grand Valley, Uinta Basin, Big Sandy River, <br />Lower Gunnison Basin, and McElmo Creek units. ,Included in this activity, USDA is monitoring <br />the effects of the salinity control program on salt load reductions and wildlife habitat as well as the <br />program's economic impacts. An annual report is prepared for each unit to provide information on <br />the monitoring and evaluation activities. Special efforts continue to refine the methods to monitor <br />and track the effects of program implementation on wetlands and other wildlife habitat. <br /> <br />3 <br /> <br />