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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 3653 The primary legal impact of this program is associated with water savings. The onfarhl program generally increases the irrigation efficiency of the farming operation. It has been estimated that up to 60,000 acre-feet of water per year could be saved through implementation of the onfarm program. Parmers may be reluctant to join the program and part with this water. The redistribution of this water for irrigation or other beneficial uses may create other impacts. The final r.eport on the onfarm proqr.am for the Grand Valley did not reveal any costs associated with operation and maintenance. However, based on recent reports for McElmo Creek and Lower Gunnison, the annual costs for operation, maintenance and replacement will rise dramatically. Lower Gunnision Rasin Unit The Lower Gunnison Basin Unit is located in Delta, Montrose, and Ouray Counties and encompasses the Lower Gunnison River drainage area (see figure 3). The entire unit contains approximately two million acres and consists of several intermountain valleys and mesas drained by the Uncompahgre and Gunnison Rivers and their tributaries. Figure 3 shows the boundaries of the unit. There are about 171,000 acres of irrigated lands within the study area most of which overlies' the Mancos Formation. This entire study area contributes approximately 1 million tons of salt annually to the Gunnison River, a tr.ibutary to the Colorado River. It is estimated that the annual salt loading to the Gunnison River could be reduced by 445,500 tons through the implementation of the programs proposed by the Bureau of Reclamation and the Soil Conservation Service. Off-Farm Program The study area of the Bureau of Reclamation's off-farm program involved the irrigated lands within the Uncompahgre -19-