WSP01564

• File Number: 8273.600
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control - Federal Agency Reports - USDA
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 1/1/1991
• Title: Colorado SCS Salinity Projects - Part 1 of 3 - General info and The Grand Valley Project
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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5. Objectives Of The M&E Program

The objectives of the M&E program are to meas~re and quantify the
effects of improved on-farm irrigation systems and practices being
instal led in the Grand Val ley to reduce salt loading to the Colorado
River.

The goals of the Irrigation M&E program are: 1) to measure al I
irrigations for the entire season on selected fields, 2) quantify deep
percolation reduction resulting from implementing irrigation system
and management improvements, 3) evaluate on-farm irrigation system
performance and recommend design improvements based on actual system
performance, and 4) identify management follow-up needs and
directions.

The impacts on wildlife habitat due to cost-share salinity practices
were monitored and evaluated between 1983 to 1988 CRefer to "Wildl ife
Habitat" portion of the 1986,1987 and 1988 Annual M&E Reports) a,s
outl ined in the 1983 Grand Valley Monitoring and Evaluation Plan,
pages 11 to 13. Acres of wildlife habitat improvements continue to be
tracked and recorded.

Economic impacts, potential sal inity reductions and soi I sal inity
levels are being evaluated. The M&E data wi I I help determine program
effectiveness in reducing the salt load to the Colorado River; and
wi II help direct future sal ini'ty program activities.

This report is divided into three parts deal ing with each of the
monitoring discipl ines: Irrigation, Wi Idl ife, and Economics. Each
discipline is at a different level of project implementation and data
oollection, therefore, each is dealt with separately in this report.

6. CRSC Program status

The fifth year of funding for CRSC was completed in Fiscal Year CFY)
91. In 1991, there were 212 appl icants which included 22 wi Idl ife
requests. Only 53 contracts could be funded with 1.5 mi I I ion dollars
of cost-share money.

Among cost-share practices, underground and gated pipe continues to be
the most popu,lar and useful practices to control sal inity. Surge
irrigation sy'stem is gaining wide support. Many systems in the valley
are being modified to permit surge installations.

The table below provides the status of CRSC
1991 as well as cumulative, where possible.
local ASCS office.

program implementation for
Data was provided the

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