WSP10235

• File Number: 8281.910
• Description: Colorado River Studies and Investigations -- Grand Valley Salinity Study
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 12/1/1976
• Author: Soil Cons Serv
• Title: Grand Valley Salinity Study - draft
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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Soil Conservation Service field office studies included a farm by farm

Inventory which had the support and cooperation of 2,210 landowners who

provided information on their; irrigation systems.

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The Soil Conservation Service inventoried the on-farm irrigation systems

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and determined improvement needs, costs and impacts. The Bureau of

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Reclamation inventoried the o~f-farm canal and lateral system and

determined improvement opportunities. Close coordination of the studies
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were required, so that the tot~l system can be operated compatibly and

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efficiently.

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The Agricultural Research Servlce, Bureau of Land Management, Colorado
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State University, and Colorado Water Conservation Board are conducting
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or have carried out research an~ demonstration programs in t~e Valley

and their results along with re ults from monitoring the system provide

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a valuable data base to establi h present conditions and expected results

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with improved irrigation effici ncy.

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PROBLEMS

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One of the concerns for the Colo ado River is degradation of the water

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data by the U. S. Geological Sur~ey (USGS) indicate that the Grand

Valley contributes about 600,000 \to 700,000 tons of salt annually to

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the Colorado River. Most of thes~ salts are thought to be leached

. from the soil and underlying Mancps Shale and carried into the river

by deep percolation and seepage f~om the water delivery system.

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