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<br />The seven Basin state~ come united to point out the importance of <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />~ the on-farm "alinity control m"''''''I:C'' i,d U"tcd i.n ]979 uy tl1" Department <br />W <br />.... of Agriculture and to support additions to tile FY 1982 uudGet to continClc <br />W <br />the implementation of the on-farm and related salinity control measures <br /> <br />effective in reducing salt loading in the Colorado River. <br /> <br />The U.S. Departm"nt of Agriculture has been cooperating with the <br /> <br />Water and Power Resources Service, Environmental Protection Agency other <br /> <br />federal agencies, stal:e, and local agencies in the investig"tion of salt <br /> <br />sources in the Basin ,'hich originate from irrigated agriculture. These <br /> <br />salt contributions arc, due primarily to irrigation of lands which are <br /> <br />underlain by saline g,'ologic formations such as the Mancos shale. As a <br /> <br />result of these studi(s, the Department of Agriculture init1ated in FY <br /> <br />1979 an on-farm impro\ement program for salinity control in the Grand <br /> <br />Valley of Colorado. In FY 1980 a similar program was initiated in the <br /> <br />Uintah Basin of Utah. <br /> <br />The on-farm program of the Department of Agriculture is designed to <br /> <br />reduce the salt load through improved irrigation systems and water <br /> <br />management. It includes the installation of irrigation pipelines, <br /> <br />lining of farmers' head ditches, installation of automated gated pipe, <br /> <br />land leveling, an the use of drip and sprinkler irrigation on selected <br /> <br />areas. These on-farm practices have been demonstrated to be very cost- <br /> <br />effective means of salinity control. However, the Department of Agriculture <br /> <br />has yet to include funds for this program in its nomal budgetary process. <br /> <br />In Fiscal Years ]979, 1980, and 1981, the seven Basin states, <br /> <br />through the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum, sought increases <br /> <br />in the USDA budget for on-farm salinity control activities. The Congress <br /> <br />2 <br />