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<br />Salinity Control Opportunities <br /> <br />.~ <br /> <br />Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-320), Portions of the unit were later authorized for <br />construction in 1984 by an amendment to the Act, P,L, 98-569, <br /> <br />N <br />CJl <br />to- <br />W <br /> <br />An estimated 360,000 tons of salt is added to the Colorado River from the <br />Uncomp~hgre Project, a Reclamation irrigation project built in the early <br />1900's, $tudies indicate that salt loading occurs when irrigation conveyance <br />system seepage and irrigation return flows pass through highly saline soils <br />and the underlying Mancos Shale Formation, By reducing the amount of <br />ground ~ater percolating through these saline soils, salt loading to the <br />Colorado: River would be reduced. <br /> <br />With Reclamation funding, the water districts have completed the winter <br />water fa4ilities. Reclamation has completed plans for local improvements to <br />the irriglition delivery systems. Onfarm improvements, including upgrading <br />irrigatioI\ systems and improving irrigation management, are being <br />implemerl.ted by USDA. <br /> <br />In 1992, a study was completed on ways to reduce the cost of the canal and <br />lateral lining program through cooperative construction agreements, cost <br />sharing, $ndredesign of the delivery system to reduce canal and lateral <br />lengths, Piping the laterals would be very cost effective, about $70 per ton, <br />Constructjion of the lateral system is scheduled to begin after the winter <br />water pOl#on of the unit is completed in 1995, iffunds are available, <br />Construcliionofthe canal system has been deferred due to its relatively high <br />cost and ~oor cost effectiveness. ' <br /> <br />, <br />I <br />) <br />j <br /> <br />" <br />';J <br /> <br />'oj <br />j <br />., <br />l <br />~~ <br />':~ <br /> <br />Lower Gunnison Basin, North Fork <br /> <br />The Lower Gunnison Basin, North Fork is located in Delta and Ouray <br />Counties df west-central Colorado. The study included irrigated areas on <br />the NorthiFork of the Gunnison River, along the Uncompahgre River south <br />of Colona, : Colorado, and north and east of the city of Delta along the <br />Gunnison River, (That portion of the Lower Gunnison Basin Unit served by <br />the Unconipahgre Project has been investigated in a separate study,) <br /> <br />Reclamation studied off-farm salinity contributions from saline springs and <br />seepage frcllm unlined canals and laterals, Areas north of Delta and <br />southeast 9f Hotchkiss contribute large amounts of salt. The total off-farm <br />salt contribution from the North Fork area was estimated to be <br />approximately 148,000 tons per year, <br /> <br />Emphasis was placed on identifYing and quantifYing off-farm sources of <br />salinity and fQrmulating alternative solutions to diminish the salt loading to <br />the river system. Preliminary findings indicated that selective lining of <br />canals and 'laterals and winter water replacement might be viable; however, <br />a more detailed study showed the cost of these improvements prohibitively <br />high at the'time of the study, <br /> <br />8-5 <br /> <br />