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<br />Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Prooram <br /> <br />I' :'\ <br />0' <br /> <br />rangelands On systematically targeted. watersheds. the payoff for salimty control is thai decreased <br />sediment yields and moderated tloodflow energies should comb me [0 transpon less salt from [he <br />uplands. as well as from gullies and established channels. <br /> <br />, <br />, <br /> <br />a <br /> <br />\'egetation management-either mdirectly through the design and Implementation of livestock <br />grazing plans or directly through vegetation manipulation-is an Imponant erosIon and salimty <br />controllechnique, For example. BL\.t uses tebulhluron to thin big sagebrush by inhibiting <br />pholosyntheSlS. Perennial grasses and forbs are then able to increase with the soil water no longer <br />taken by sage. Reduced runoff. erosion. and sedimentation combine to achiev'e reductions in salt <br />loading <br /> <br />Proper land use-including [he objectives of grazing systems that incorporate increased cover. <br />appropriate seasons of use. and riparian protection-is a preferred salinity reduction technique. as <br />IS mInimIzing aCll\ltles thaI dIsturb the surfJce_ However. on the most highly saline sites. <br />rna\lmUm pOtential plant cover IS usually inadequate to provide leverage for significant control of <br />surface runoff. erosIon. and associated salt production In those cases where watershed condition <br />(health I IS so severely degraded that recovery ....ill be lOeffective under nonnalland management <br />practices. mechanical land treatments and stTuclUral allernatives may be the only physically <br />eiiecuv'e salinit)' control oplions_ Land treatments involv'e sot! tillage techniques such as contour <br />furrOWing. rippIng. and rangeland plltlng, Slrucrural features include rangeland dikes. retention <br />and gully plugs. and retention and detenllon reser\'-'Olrs, <br /> <br />BL\1 manages rIparIan-weIland and aquatic zones to achieve healthy and produClive conditions for <br />long-term benefits and values. and. 10 Utah and Colorado. salt savmgs have been created by <br />e~labli~hlOg riparian pasture and off-channellLveswck watering practices. Cononwood and Willow <br />tree poles have been planted on several ephemeral dramages, The planung areas are prolected by <br />fenCing N grazIng e1;cluSlon untlllhe poles are well establl~hed <br /> <br />Soil-\egetauon ecologICal site SUT\.'eys conlinue to be an imponant baseline information source to <br />understand from where. and by \\hat processes. salIS are tramponed to surface or groundwater. <br />\\'aler~hed rankings have been completed m Anzona, Colorado. Ul3h. and \\'yoming. <br /> <br />Point Source Control-~lan)' point sources of saline water e\ist on the public lands as either wells <br />or spnngs Close cooperation with the State IS required for pluggmg of orphaned wells. and good <br />field-level coordinallon with the private enmies operating in 011 and gas fields has led 10 additional <br />pOInt source control accompilshments, BL~1 has dev'eloped a water source lnvernor)' 10 identify <br />and characlerize water uses and respective sources on the public lands. Saline springs are <br />identlfled through the program Control of saline springs is analyzed through BLM's planning <br />process with major sources being broughl to Reclamation's anemion_ <br /> <br />BL\1 recogmzes and IS committed 10 reducing the contribution of salls to the Colorado River <br />S~stem from public lands As in past years. BL:-.t makes many individual management decisions <br />.... ilhm each BL:-'1 jumdiction. While salimty control is no! segregated as a speCific program. it is <br />affected by almosl all other land management decisions that are made. Progress in salt reducrion <br /> <br />27 <br />