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<br />One GVWUA request that the Salinity Control Program has been unable to <br />meet is lining the Middle Government Highline Canal. The managers of the <br />Salinity Control Program have decided to indefinitely defer lining this portion <br />of canal due to the unacceptable cost-benefits ratio. This will be the only <br />portion of the canal not lined downstream from Tunnel No. 3. The GVWUA <br />see this as a weak link and a detriment to their operation. It appears feasible <br />to cost share lining this portion of the canal between the endangered fish <br />program and the salinity program. This could be done by determining the <br />maximum amount the salinity program would be willing to pay for the im- <br />provements and then having the endangered fish program pay the balance. <br />It may be possible to justify these improvements because, from an operational <br />standpoint, these improvements would enhance the water management options <br />and would lead to more water savings. In addition, initial studies indicate that <br />the check structures would elevate the water surface in this portion of canal. <br />Due to the enlarged wetted perimeter associated with the increased elevation, <br />increased seepage is expected. Since the increased elevation would be wetting <br />upper portions of the canal which have never, or infrequently, been wetted, <br />the seepage rates are expected to be high. This increased seepage would be <br />detrimental to salinity control and would reduce management opportunities. <br />There is a quiet mutual lack of trust between the water user and environmental <br />communities. It is doubtful that the environmental community would tolerate, <br />much less encourage, using recovery program funds to improve irrigation <br />facilities on the hope that water would be saved. At the same time, until the <br />improvements are complete, actual savings would be hard to determine. <br />Actual savings would be partially dependent on the desire of the water users to <br />save. Given enough encouragement, water users may be willing to construct <br />on-farm irrigation improvements to further save water or even change cropping <br />patterns to those crops which consume less water. <br />The most evident system of encouragement is financial. With this in mind a <br />possible solution would be to pay the GVWUA on a per unit of volume saved. <br />To provide up front funding of the large canal improvements, it may be <br />possible to provide a low interest loan. Payments for water savings could then <br />be used to pay off the improvement loan. If more revenue is generated by <br />saved water payments than is needed to service the loan, the excess could be <br />used to accelerate loan payments, pay for on-farm improvements, pay for <br />additional system improvements, help pay for operation and maintenance cost <br />for the existing system, or help pay for additional operation and maintenance <br />payments associated with the salinity program facilities.