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O~1546 INTRODUCTION The Plan was prepared under the authority of the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act, Public Law 83-566, as amended (126 USC 10011008), and in accordance with Section 102 2 c of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, Public Law 91-190, as amended (42 US C. 4321, et seq.). Responsibility for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act rests with the NRCS. This watershed plan describes the plan formulation process, discloses expected project impacts, and provides the basis for authorizing federal assistance for implementation under the Public Law 566 Program. There were no significant adverse environmental impacts identified during the scoping process. The sponsoring local organizations are West Otero Soil Conservation District (WOSCD), East Otero Soil Conservation District (EOCD), and the Colorado State Soil Conservation Board (CSSCB). The US Department of Agriculture's NRCS assisted the sponsors with the development of the plan. All information and data presented herein, unless otherwise noted, were collected by the NRCS during planning. This plan was prepared to document the findings of planning studies to date as a PL- 566 project. The report identifies problems, effects, and alternatives which are being considered. It further explains, in some detail, a Recommended Plan (RP), including its cost, benefits, and environmentally adverse and beneficial effects. No significant adverse environmental impact has been identified at this stage of the environmental evaluation process. The US Fish and Wildlife Service (F&WS), US Geological Survey (USGS), Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, the Colorado State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), and the Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) have been and will continue to be consulted. Purposes to be served by the project are agricultural water management and watershed protection. Specifically, this project has been formulated to improve both surface and groundwater quality, reduce irrigation induced erosion to acceptable levels, and more effectively conserve and use available water supplies by improving on-farm irrigation water management thus reducing deep percolation. Irrigation induced erosion will be reduced in the treatment area on 10,000 acres now eroding at 2-7 times the maximum rate allowable to maintain the productive capacity of the soil resource. Poor water quality from nutrients, heavy metals and salts in wells and drains will be improved in the watershed as well as in the Arkansas River. Better on farm irrigation water application will occur on 31,000 acres. These efforts will help move irrigated agriculture closer to being able to achieve the irrigation effectiveness which existed in the 1950s. 8