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<br />n <br /> <br />Improved management of irrigation water, including devices for measur- <br />ing water onto tne fields and linin or i in onfan;-and off-farm ro ~ <br />itc es, and or sprinklers~has the potential for reducing the river'R R~lt <br />-roaa by as much a8'38,000 tons~~~ucin~~l~n~ty concentration of the <br />Colorado River at Imperial Dam by 3.9 milligrams per liter. These impacts <br />.!re bas!:,"d '?2. ~E.~s~tion that improvements_ will be made on about 70 per- <br />cent of the irrigated area. The remaining irrigated land may not be im- <br />pro;'ed'Uridervoruntary 'participation in the salinity control program because <br />of land use changes or for other reasons of the individual landowners. The <br />estimated farmer support is anticipated to be 70%. The anticipated willing- <br />ness and ability to pay was estimated through inventorying the area as well <br />as input from public participation meetings. <br /> <br />TABLE I-I SUMMARY OF ANNUAL SALT LOADING AND POTENTIAL REDUCTION <br />ATTRIBUTED TO IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE. <br />McELMO CREEK SALINITY CONTROL STUDY, COLORADO. <br /> <br /> Present FutUrE Plan Number <br /> condi- w/o <br /> tion cond. 2 3 4 5 6 <br /> -----------------------tons--------------------- <br />Source of Loading 1/2/ <br />Group Ditches 1/ 8000 9000 800e e e C 0 <br />OnFarm Ditches 1400C 15000 15000 14000 3000 2000 0 <br />Deep Percolation 32000 36000 24000 2200e 2000C 20000 36000 <br />Totals 54000 60000 47000 36000 2300C 22000 36000 <br />Reduction <br />Group Ditches 2/ 100e 9000 9000 9000 9000 <br />OnFarm Ditches e 1000 12000 13000 15000 <br />Deep Percolation 12000 14000 1600C 1600C 0 <br />Totals 13000 24000 37000 38000 24000 <br /> <br />l/The annual salt loading includes 5,000 tons/year from Navajo Wash, a <br />- separate tributary to the San Juan River. <br />2/Additional water from the Dolores Project in place will increase salt <br />- loading in the future without project condition. This additional water <br />was taken into account in Plans 2-6. <br />2/Group ditches that are not a part of the Montezuma Valley Irrigation <br />Company System. <br /> <br />Local benefits resulting from these improvements will be reflected in <br />reduced costs of production, improved irrigation systems and increased crop <br />yields. However. tbeRe ~mprovem~nts also may impact the 11,000 acres of <br />wetland that have developed as a result of introducing irrigation into the <br />valley. <br /> <br />1-2 <br /> <br />~ ~ ,., <br />~. . <br /> <br />.., <br />