WSP12152

• File Number: 8273.800.10
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control - Federal Agencies - Joint Reports
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 12/1/1989
• Title: 1989 Joint Evaluation of Salinity Control Programs in the Colorado River Basin
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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This salinity control project, located
northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, is for the
installation of onfarm and off-farm irriga-
tion systems and is projected to reduce salt
loading to the Colorado River by 19,500 tons
per year.

.......,;

Paradox Valley Unit, Colorado.
Reclamation

The facility will be essentially complete this
summer and ready for test injection pending
the selection and testing of chemical precipi-
tate inhibitors. Samples taken from the
primary injection formation, the Leadville
Formation, show that without the use of
chemical inhibitors, the injection brine will
react with water already in the formation to
form about 30 tons of solids per day,

Reclamation, through contracts with private
consultants, DOE, and USGS geothermal
experts, is evaluating the performance of
several different mixes of inhibitors.
Reclamation is also evaluating the
effectiveness of preflooding with fresh water
to move the injection interface some
distance into the injection formation thus
reducing the precipitation potential.

Preparation of supplements to the definite
plan report and final environmental
statement recommending injection as the
brine disposal method was initiated. The
documents are being prepared with
information now available. The draft
documents will be prepared and then put on
hold until initial results of the 2-year test
are available. Any new information
available during the 2-year test will be
incorporated into the reports. Final
approval of the reports and the Record of
Decision is scheduled for September 1991.

Pariette Draw Riparian
Demonstration Project, Utah -
BlM

The Parlette Draw Riparian Demonstration
Project was established in 1986 to restore
riparian values, including runoff water
quality, Sediment retention plugs (26) were
constructed in 1989 with the objective of
salinity control.

Price-San Rafael Rivers Unit,
Utah - Reclamation/USDA

SCS and Reclamation are preparing a joint
plan and EIS for the Price-San Rafael
Rivers Unit. Under the joint plan
Reclamation will install salinity control
features in the irrigation distribution
system and USDA will assist individuals
and groups apply onfarm salinity reduction
practices. At the close of fiscal year 1989
SCS was completing preparation of the
USDA onfarm plan and EIS section of the
report.

, Reclamation will be combining the USDA
portion of the report into the draft planning
reporUenvironmentalstatement early in
fiscal year 1990, Under the preferred plan,
salt loading to the Colorado River system
would be reduced by about 162,920 tons per
year, with an annual cost of salt removal at
$55 per ton (January 1989 prices).

Sagers Wash Project, Utah - BlM

The Sagers Wash Project was implemented
in 1981 and established to determine the
effectiveness of controlling erosion through
the implementation of structural measures
and livestock grazing management changes.
The decision made in the Grand Resource
Management Plan concerning this project
was to conduct detailed monitoring. A
comprehensive plan detailing the

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