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The Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association completed the final inventory of the winter water replacement needs in June 1989. W The inventory da~a will be used by the water suppliers to develop ~ final designs, cost estimates, and construction specifications for CD off-farm distribution system modifications. This work will also 00 be accomplished under cooper<ltive agreements with Reclamation. Designs for the Tri-County system were done under a $46,000 cooperative agreement in preparation for fiscal year 1990 construction funding. Designs for the Chipeta and Menoken Water companies will be completed in advance of construction as funds become available. The USDA onfarm program consists of a full spectrum of onfarm salinity control measures that are compatible with the Reclamation plan. The primary causes of the salt loading are from irrigation delivery system seepage and applied irrigation water percolating through the saline soils. Cost-effective areas were identified for implementation in the Lower Gunnison USDA salinity control plan which was prepared in 1981. The planned salt load reduction from this area is 280,000 tons per year. The USDA Lower Gunnison salinity control project includes approximately 169,000 acres of irrigated land near Delta and Hontrose, Colorado. Because of this large size, the area is divided into 5 subareas for implementation purposes. The Lower Gunnison #1 (Tongue Creek) subarea was selected as the location to begin implementation of the USDA program. In 1988, CRSC funds were allocl'1:F'd for contracts in the Tongue Creek ,area and USDA agencies assigned staff to the USDA Service Center in Delta, Colorado, to carry out the program. As of September 30, 1989, farmers have signed 17 CRSC contracts obligating over $500,000. Interest by local farmers in the program is high with more applications on file than funding is avail<lble. As of September 30, 1989, over 5 miles of pipeline and concrete- lined ditch wer'3 installed along with other salinity reduction practices such as surge irrigation, ~"ted pipe, and structures for water control. Technical assistance on irrigation water management is also provided to all participants. The pr<lctices installed account for a salt load reduction of 700 tons per year. An SCS wildlife biologist is in Delta and devotes full time to assisting with the planning, installation, and evaluation of wildlife habitat practices. Another SCS wildlife biologist has recently joined the Montrose field office to provide assistance in the Lower Gunnison #2 (Montrose County) project area. A full-time extension agent (Irrigation) is located in the USDA Delta Serv'ce Center to carry out information and education activities. Big Sandy River (~eclamation and USDA). The Big Sandy River begins in the Wind River Mountains of southwestern Wyoming where the salt content of the water is very low. Below Big Sandy Dam, 34