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<br />Salinity Control Opportunities <br /> <br /> <br />l'V <br />CJl <br />...... <br />QO <br /> <br />Most of the salt pickup from the unit area is from the dissolution of salts <br />from the soil and subsurface materials, principally from soils of marine <br />origin which underlie most of the Uinta Basin, Seepage from conveyance <br />systems and deep percolation resulting from irrigation are the primary <br />processes that dissolve salts from the soils and shales and convey the salts <br />through the ground-water system to natural drainages and ultimately to the <br />Colorado River, The Uinta Basin contributes an estimated 450,000 tons of <br />salt per year to the Colorado River, <br /> <br />Reclamation's study evaluated several alternatives, These included lining <br />irrigation canals and laterals to reduce seepage losses, deep-well injection, <br />evaporation ponds, desalination, coal-slurry pipelines, powerplant cooling, <br />and land retirement, Reclamation's plan recommends selective canal and <br />lateral improvements to reduce seepage losses and associated salt pickup, <br /> <br />The USDA Uinta Basin Salinity Control Plan was prepared in 1979 and <br />amended in 1987 to include off-farm lateral improvements, In 1992, the <br />plan was expanded to bring in 20,000 acres of adjoining irrigated lands <br />which were not included in the original plan, The total salt-load reduction <br />goal for this area is 106,800 tons per year, <br /> <br />Virgin Valley <br /> <br />This area is located where the Virgin River flows through the States of <br />Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, The area consists of about 5,000 acres of <br />irrigated land owned by 50 individuals and involves four irrigation <br />companies or districts, It was estimated that salt loading could be reduced <br />from this area by about 37,200 tons per year with improvements to canals, <br />laterals, and onfarm irrigation systems, <br /> <br />,8-10 <br />