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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 3758 Source T~~~ (tons/yr) Percent of Total ~ad TOTAL 13,140 1,131,500 5,110 554,800 1,704,550 0.8 66.4 0.3 32.5 Municipal Irrigation Mine Drainage Runoff and Springs The narrative discussion of the salt budget does not detail the 13,000 tons attributed to municipal use of water. The abandoned mines referred to in the budget, are located in the headwaters of the Uncompahgre and Lake Fork drainages. All but 36,000 tons per year of the total yield attributed to irrigated agriculture originate in the Lower Gunnison River Basin. Mineral springs near Ouray and Ridgeway along the Uncompahgre River account for a small percentage of salt loads contributed by natural sources. Areas drained by the North Fork, the uncompahgre, and the Lower Gunnison are underlain by soluble formations and therefore account for the largest portion of the 550,000 tons per year attributed to natural runoff. The headwaters of the Gunnison River, Tbmichi Creek, and Lake Fork are underlain by more resistant rock and therefore yield high quality runoff. SCS-Final Report on the Lower Gunnison Salinity Control Study The SCS presents an estimate of salt loading by source for the Gunnison River Basin. Using measurements from the USGS gaging station No. 09152500 - Gunnison River near Grand Junction, the SCS estimated the average annual salt yield since -26-