Laserfiche WebLink
<br />The salinity control program involves pumping the saline ground water, thereby lowering <br />the water table and reducing saline inflows to the Dolores River. The pumped brine is injected <br />into a deep well in the Paradox Valley. About 128,000 tons of salt would be removed annually <br />by this unit. There is the potential to increase this to 180,000 tons per year if sulfates can be <br />removed from the brine prior to injection. <br /> <br />e The injection test well, the brine pipeline, the surface treatment building, and the injection <br />o building have been completed and tested. The facility is scheduled to go into operation in FY -97. <br />c.."O <br />Grand ValllfY (Reclamation and USDA): The area within the Grand Valley Unit in <br />western Mesa County, Colorado, contributes 580,000 tons of salt annually to the Colorado River. <br />Most of the salts are leached from the soil and underlying Mancos Fonnation by ground water that <br />is recharged by deep percolation from canal and lateral leakage and on-farm application. <br /> <br />The Reclamation program in the Grand Valley Unit is being implemented in two stages. <br />Stage I, encompassing about 10 percent of the unit area, consisted of concrete lining 6.8 miles of <br />the Government Highline Canal (GHC), consolidating 34 miles of open laterals into 29 miles of <br />pipe laterals and installing an automated moss and debris removal structure. This work was <br />completed in April 1983. Stage II construction began on the GHC system in the fall of 1986. <br />Construction of the Price and Stubb Ditch systems started in 1991 under cooperative agreements <br />with the Palisade Irrigation District and the Mesa County Irrigation District. Work on the Stage <br />II systems will be completed in 1998, When completed, the Unit is expected to reduce salinity <br />by 131,300 tons per year. <br /> <br />USDA published the plan for the Grand Valley on-farm program in 1977 and in 1980 <br />prepared a supplement to include improvements to lateral systems. The plan, updated in 1994, <br />identified a salt load reduction goal of 132,000 tons. The USDA program includes the installation <br />of on-farm salinity reduction practices and lining or piping certain off-farm lateral systems which <br />are needed to support the on-farm improvements. Implementation was initiated in 1979 under <br />existing USDA authorities and in 1987 funding became available under the USDA Colorado River <br />Salinity Control (CRSC) program. <br /> <br />As of September 30, 1995, a total of 3,431 annual Agricultural Conservation Program <br />(ACP)/long-tenn agreements and CRSC contracts have been signed with participants. In addition, <br />48 farmers are ready to implement salinity reduction and wildlife habitat measures and have <br />submitted applications for salinity control contracts. Because of insufficient USDA funds, salinity <br />control contracts can be prepared and signed with only a limited number of these applicants during <br />each year. Farmers have installed 513 miles of pipelines and ditch lining. Major improvements <br />have been made on 22,900 acres of surface irrigation systems including over 5,165 acres of land <br />leveling. In addition, 73 sprinkler systems and 50 drip systems have been installed. The total <br />USDA annual salt load reduction as of September 30, 1995, is 66,700 tons. <br /> <br />Uinta Ba.fin (Reclamation and USDA ): The area covered by the Uinta Basin Unit in <br />northeastern Utah contributes about 450,000 tons of salt annually to the Colorado River System. <br />Return flows from 204,000 acres of irrigated land account for most of the salt contribution. <br />Reclamation identified about 56 miles of the total 240 miles of canals and laterals in the Uinta <br /> <br />4-3 <br />