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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 0553 SCOPE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT The problems and opportunities of the watershed are directly related to the capabilities and the degree of management of the watershed's resources. The inventory and analysis phases for this plan used a scoping process to identify those economic, environmental, and social areas of primary concern. This was a public participation process, that led to further investigation and analysis by NRCS. NRCS gathered detailed information on current resource conditions. A projection of future conditions was made in order to formulate and compare alternatives and estimate their impacts. During the initial stages of planning an analysis of a broad range of economic, environmental, and social factors in the watershed was carried out. Those factors that were directly related to the problems and opportunities and/or those that might be significantly affected by any potential project were considered. Also, each of the problems and concerns identified by the public at the scoping meeting, as well as those requiring consideration in any federally funded project, were reviewed and their significance to decision making was determined. Table C lists the factors considered in this scoping process and their percei"p.d significance to project formulation and decision-making. Factor rating "Low" or "None" in Table C were not likely to be affected by the project and were considered insignificant to decision making. Therefore, these factors are not discussed in this document. Those factors that have a "High" or "Medium" impact on the watershed would be affected by the project and were significant in decision making. A detailed study was then made on these factors by assessing the current conditions, formulating and comparing alternatives, and determining impacts of a selected plan. The following issues were raised by the public during initial planning meetings. These issues necessitated NRCS to perform more detailed investigationa as planning progressed. IWM/Water Conservation The watershed has an inefficient irrigation water delivery system as well as poor on farm water application. Poor water application increases the deep percolation and runoff which carries the heavy metals, nutrients, salts and sediment to the drains and creeks and finally back to the Arkansas River. The groundwater quality is also deteriorated. Water Oualitv/Surface and Groundwater The poor irrigation water application reduces surface and groundwater quality. 20