WSP01329

• File Number: 8276.400
• Description: McElmo Creek Unit - Colorado River Salinity Control Program
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 7
• Date: 1/1/1981
• Title: McElmo Creek Salinity Control Unit
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Project Overview

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salinity and hydraulic conductivity.

There is also a program which monitors surface water at 40 sites

around the drainage for quality and quantity, The information from these

programs is being used to develop a computer program which will model salt

and water movement throughout the drainage area.

Irrigation research has been done on seven test farms in the basin.

These farms represented various soil types! farm sizes1 irrigation methods

and farm management practices. During the irrigation season. water input

and output from these farms was constantly monitored, and available soil

moisture contents were measured periodically. Results so far show that
on gravity fields (depending on the farm) up to 25 percent of the app lied
water could become surface runoff, and up to 25 percent of the applied

water could become groundwater through deep percolation,

A fairly extensive public involvement program has been conducted over

the last two years. Newspaper articles and radio interviews have been

conducted which explain the salinity program and how the McElmo Creek Area

is contributing to the problem, These articles also explain what we are

doing on the McElmo Creek Unit, and the results we are obtaining, Project

tours and open houses have also been conducted. Displays have also been

developed for several local trade shows and fairs,

During the course of this public involvement program, we have received

input from the general public which was used in developing and refining

alternatives.

The latest general public meeting was 1n September 1980, consisting

of two public meetings at the high school in Cortez, The refined alterna~

tives were displayed and public comment was once again received. From this

program, and after extensive study by the Water and Power Resources Service,

with input from the Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company and the County

Commissioners, the following candidate plans resulted,

1) Concrete line 32 miles of high and moderate canal seepage areas

1n the MVI system, This plan would line selected portions of the Lone Pine,

May, and Hermana laterals, and the Highline, Goodland, and Rocky Ford Ditches.

The total cost is about $17,000,000 and it could reduce the salt content of

McElmo Creek by 40,000 tons annually.

2) Combine the Rocky Ford into the Highline Ditch and concrete

lining the high and moderate seepage areas on the remainder of the MVI

system, The Rocky Ford Ditch would be combined into the Highline Dit~h~, ~~:J

Pipe laterals from this ditch would provide water to existing turnou~ul