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<br />Salinity Control Opportunities <br /> <br /> <br />Lower Virgin River <br /> <br />N <br />CJ' <br />l-'" <br />~ <br /> <br />This unit is located along the lower Virgin River in northeastern Clark <br />County, Nevada, and northwestern Mohave County, Arizona, The unit <br />includes natural saline springs averaging 2,900 mg/L near Littlefield, <br />Arizona, and 3,500 acres of irrigated land along the Virgin River between <br />the springs and Lake Mead, <br /> <br />Investigations by Reclamation began in 1972 as the Littlefield Springs Unit, <br />The initial approach was to study a series of saline springs along the river <br />at Littlefield Springs near the USGS gauge, "Virgin River at Littlefield, <br />Arizona," The object of that investigation was to determine the best method <br />of collecting and disposing of the water and returning the freshwater to the <br />river or disposing of the saline water from the springs by evaporation, This <br />project was strenuously opposed locally because the springs are the only <br />reliable water supply for irrigation at Mesquite, Bunkerville, and Riverside, <br />Nevada, during the summer, <br /> <br />Lyman-West Green River <br /> <br />This area is located in southwestern Wyoming and northeastern Utah in the <br />drainages of the Blacks Fork, Hams Fork, and Henry Fork Creeks, Soils <br />within the area are generally shallow with underlying marine shales. The <br />three drainages contribute an estimated 658,000 tons per year, It is <br />thought that an improvement in irrigation efficiency should reduce salinity <br />in these drainages, An estimated 97,000 acres ofland are irrigated in the <br />project area, The USDA Soil Conservation Service prepared a <br />reconnaissance level report in 1991 which identified the potential for <br />195,000 tons of salinity control at $40 per ton, <br /> <br />Mancos Valley <br /> <br />The Mancos Valley Unit is a 9,200-acre irrigated area along the Mancos <br />River, a tributary to the San Juan River, The report, Irrigation <br />Improvements for Mancos Valley, was completed by USDA in 1985, The <br />recommended plan includes 3,200 acres of sprinkler systems and other <br />water management/salinity control treatment on about 5,500 total acres, <br />About 17 miles of canal and lateral lining would combine many old earthen <br />laterals, Total salt load reductions are estimated to be 8,800 tons per year <br />with about 7,700 tons resulting from lateral improvements, About 57 land- <br />owners and 15 lateral companies or groups oflandowners would be <br />involved, No implementation actions have been taken, <br /> <br />B-6 <br />