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~\ <3~ l 12\ '1 ~ ~r l"i\'f 'L) Uk 1--, C~ ~ ~jyJ,^(\ , t"i,uJi'A' - \ L '> v ( DIY/'-' t 2/jC, . - ~- J :/' U~,.'l ItlOE~EtlOEtI" .CO" CO OEI-,.... oe\"" \'j) \)~.).i \oe\'" C~~~2 GC. ~ \f'Ied.. nress dOl: "Ce CO\O~3 ser~;5010A C\\OP\{\g.oeo"et. .1603 r _.""V\3c.e.-.l"),OJ-S1\ "::::; Sigrt-up for salinity control funding continues to Feb. 28 tion practices, irrigation water Salinity contracts can last from management and a resource man- three to 10 years. The participant agement system. has up to eight years to complete Salinity reduction practices are irrigation system improvements. improvements such as underground The required management prac- pipelines, concrete ditch linings, or tices must be carried out for at sprinkler systems which replace least two years following system earthen canals and ditches. The installation. For group projects, participants agree to properly oper- there are no required management ate and maintain these for up to 25 practices. years. PIactices can be on-fann, for After the sign-up ends, applica- individuals, or off-fann, for groups tions will be prioritized depending of two or more users of a supply upon information obtained from canal or ditch. . the application, such as location in The govemOJejlt pays 70.per- the county. Different areas are cent of the cost of eligible prac- prone to higher salt loading and tices based upon a cost docket receive a higher priority. Group developed by ASCS. The panici- projects have higher priority over pant pays the remaining 30 per- individual projects. The addition of cent. To offset any upland wildlife wildlife or wetland improvements or wetland habitat lost through has a higher rating than salinity installation of improvements, prac- reduction practices alone. tices such as windbreaks, food Finally, a project installed in plots, or wetland ponds are also less than five years will have a cost shared. higher rating than one lasting over On-fann plans require that the five years. individual agrees to work with After the priority list is estab- SCS personnel to develop and fol- lished in March, SCS pcrsonnel Iowan irrigation water manage- will begin to contact landowners ment plan that meets and monitors based upon their priority ratings to crop water requirements in order to initiate the planning process. obtain salt reduction goals. These For additional information on on-farm plans also include a the sign-up, or the salinity control resource management system program, contact the Delta ASCS which addresses other management office at 874-5726 or call 874.5735 practices such as crop residues or to reach the SCS or Extension Sec- cropping sequence. vice. As a new year begins, so does the sign-up in Delta County for the Colorado River Salinity Control Progrnm. The program is now open to the entire County and any land that was irrigated between 1982 and 1986 is eligible. Th~ sign-up began Jan. 4 and will corttinue through Feb. 28. Applications are being accepted at the Delta County Agricultural Sta- bilization and Conservation Ser- vice (ASCS) office at 690 Industri- al Blvd., Delta. The salinity progrnm is a vol un- ~ effort between irrigation water users and the federal government to reduce the amount of salts in the Colorado River. It is administered by the ASCS, the Soil Conserva- tion Service (SCS) and the CSU Cooperative Extension Service. Delta County sits atop an old sea bed containing Mancos shale, which has a high salt content. Excess irrigation water and seep- age from canals and ditches perco- late down through the shale and carry the dissolved salt as return flow to the Colorado River system which, over time, could adversely affect downstream users. To reduce this salt loading, eli- gible panicipants enter into a con- tract with the ASCS in which a salinity control plan is developed. The plan consists of salinity reduc- (('1 7~