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<br /> <br />Erosion from Wind <br /> <br />In Colorado, 6,244,000 acres of cropland are subject to severe wind <br />erosion due to unpredictable weather extremes. The most critical wind <br />erosion areas in Colorado are confined to the eastern plains and to extreme <br />south central areas of Colorado in the San Luis Valley. <br /> <br />Soil losses from wind erosion amount to 46,909,000 tons per year. The <br />major soil loss from wind erosion can be attributed to: <br /> <br />farming Class VI and VII land. <br /> <br />lack of residue management. <br /> <br />government programs that encourage farming marginal lands <br />and marginal moisture conservation. <br /> <br />farmers converting from a livestock program to a cash <br />cropping system. <br /> <br />A major wind erosion problem exists on 60 percent of the 266,000 acres <br />of irrigated cropland in the San Luis Valley. Much of this cropland is <br />under center pivot irrigation. Major crops include potatoes and small <br />grains (mainly malting barley). Conservation tillage, along with a potato- <br />grain rotation, can have a major effect in controlling the problem. Addi- <br />tionaltechnology is needed on potatoes following harvest, in that little <br />residue remains after harvest. ' <br /> <br />WHAT CAN BE DONE <br /> <br />Erosion By Water <br /> <br />In an attempt to fight against this critical loss, the following <br />actions are needed: <br /> <br />demonstrate conservation tillage practices, such as no-till <br />and minimum tillage, in areas not now using these prac- <br />tices. <br /> <br />develop economic data that supports conservation tillage. <br /> <br />discontinue government incentives on cropping systems where <br />soil loss exceeds tolerance levels. <br /> <br />develop information education programs to inform producers <br />of new farming methods and techniques, such as conservation <br />tillage. <br /> <br />develop data that will support water and energy savings <br />by practicing irrigation water management. <br /> <br />test and develop plant materials for use in irrigated <br />cropland conversion to permanent non-irrigated perennial <br />cover. <br /> <br />III-5 <br />