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.. . (. - 13 - There are no proposals under consideration at the prel:ient time involving any major changes in structures or methods of operations of the High Line Canal or the Grand Valley Canal. A study has been made by the Bureau. of Reclamation regarding the possibility of irrigating. lands. extending both east and' west. from the" Grand Junction municipal airport .by pmnping from 'the High LineCanal~ - It i-s not' anticipated that the proposed watershed project would affect this possible irrigation unit. At the time joint preliminary studies of the Indian Wash Watershed were being made by the U. S. Corps of Anny Engineers and the U. S. Soil Conservation Service, the Corps of Engineers evaluated a flood prevention program depending primarily upon the installation of a much larger floodway channel on Indian vlash. Such a program was detennined not to be economically feasible because of the high costs involved in replacing bridges and culverts to carry the higher capacity. The Corps of Engineers discontinued further studies and recommended that the Soil Conservation Service continue the evaluation of flood prevention by flood~mter-retarding structures. ( There are no other existing or proposed works of improvement of other agencies that would affect.or be affected by the measures proposed in this plan. . .~ ... WORKS OF IMPROVEMENr TO BE INSTALLED Land Treatment Measures for Watershed Protection The U. S. Bureau of Land Management has jurisdiction of the Federal rangelands that constitute 87 per cent of the watershed area above the High Line Canal. This land, consisting of 5,~35 acres, is a part of the Bureau of Land Management Grand Junction District's Mount Garfield Grazing Unit. Prior to the passage of the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934, this area had been traversed by the old Utah-Colorado stock driveway and was all but depleted of forage resources and subjected to intensive erosion. .- l . Studies made by the Bureau of Land Management indicate that an excessive amount of time would be necessary to effect vegetative changes by restrictive use. This would apply in particular to the time required for such changesto have a significant effect on runoff and sediment production in an area of poor soil and low precipitation such as this. The Bureau of Land Management, therefore, believes that emphasis should be placed on the application of the more enduring types of land treatment measures, which will also act tmmediately to reduce excessive runoff and erosion damage to the land. A two-year land treatment installation program is proposed and will consist of the construction of retention reservoirs (stock water ponds), diversions, and check dams, as well as fencing and sane range seeding. These measures will panni t proper management, improve vegetative conditions, and reduce the amount of sediment delivered to downstream areas.