Laserfiche WebLink
<br />TITLE 11 PROGRAM SUMMARIES 51 <br /> <br />other land treatment practices to reduce deep <br />percolation and the resulting drainage pumping. <br /> <br />Since the Colorado River salinity program was <br />implemented in 1975, the drainage pumping has <br />been reduc~d by about half or approximately <br />100,000 acre-feet. This has been accomplished <br />through the installation of more than <br />262.6 miles of concrete ditch linings, <br />44,724 acres of land leveling, and 10,635 water <br />control structures. In addition, strong emphasis <br />was placed on implementation of the <br />Irrigation Water Management Program on <br />all 48,195 planned acres concurrent with the <br />construction activities until 1986. <br /> <br />In 1986, the Irrigation Water Management <br />Program funding was eliminated and the <br />program, now under the Water Management <br />and Conservation (WMC) Program, was turned <br />over to the WMIDD to operate. The district has <br />been using the WMC program on approximately <br />5,500 acres per year since 1986. In addition, <br />strong emphasis was placed on implementation <br />of an irrigation water management program on <br />all 48,195 planned acres concurrent with the <br />construction activities. <br /> <br />Construction work was completed in 1986 and <br />all of the long-term contracts have expired. <br />Technical assistance continues to be provided by <br />SCS stafffor the operation and maintenance of <br />irrigation and other land treatment practices by <br />farmers in the project. <br /> <br />SCS has conducted various post-project studies <br />to evaluate the effectiveness of the onfarm <br />treatment and water management <br />improvements. This information is contained in <br />the "Wellton-Mohawk On-farm Irrigation <br />Improvement Program Post-Evaluation Report," <br />August 1988, SCS, Phoenix, Arizona. <br /> <br />The Wellton-Mohawk project was successful <br />because of various important political and social <br />factors. There was national and international <br />involvement with a high political awareness, <br />and the local community recognized that the <br />salinity problem had to be solved. Farmers were <br />willing to make the needed changes in their <br />farm operations, and the local leaders were <br />highly educated, risk oriented innovators. <br /> <br />From the program perspective, SCS attributes <br />much of the overall success of the project to <br />several key staffing and financial assistance <br />actions. Farmers were provided technical and <br />financial assistance by an onsite SCS stafffor <br />the length of the project. There was an adequate <br />diversity of technical staff to address all <br />planning, applications, and evaluation needs. <br />Farmers were also provided with multiple land <br />treatment alternatives from which they selected <br />the salinity reduction practices applied. Also, <br />quality practices were applied in a timely <br />manner because close communications were <br />maintained with the farmers and land treatment <br />contractors. Cost-share payments to farmers <br />were prompt, and the contract limits were <br />adequate to install the needed practices. <br /> <br />The assistance and cooperation from the local <br />entities was an important factor in successful <br />implementation of the project. The WMIDD <br />provided farm boundary and right-of-way <br />engineering services, irrigation records, and <br />computer time. The Well ton-Mohawk Valley <br />Natural Resource Conservation District <br />provided considerable preplanning and <br />mediation assistance. <br /> <br />TITLE II PROGRAM SUMMARIES <br /> <br />Bureau of Reclamation <br /> <br />Title II of the Colorado River Basin Salinity <br />Control Act authorized the Secretary of the <br />Interior to construct the Grand Valley Unit, the <br />Las Vegas Wash Unit, the Lower Gunriison <br />Basin Unit, portions ofthe McElmo Creek Unit <br />now included in the Dolores Project, and the <br />Paradox Valley Unit. Another unit, the Meeker <br />Dome Unit, was completed in a veritlcation well <br />plugging program. No additional actions are <br />planned for this unit. <br /> <br />Title II further authorized and directed the <br />Secretary of the Interior to expedite completion <br />of the planning reports on units described in the <br />Secretary's Report, Colorado River Water <br />Quality Improvement Program, February 1972, <br />Section 203(b)(2), and directs the Secretary to <br />undertake research on additional methods of <br />accomplishing the objective of this title (Title II <br />of Public Law 93-320). <br />