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o (;."J ')1 C,) Bureau of Land Management Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program Accomplishments for Fiscal Year 1998 The Burea\l of Land Management recognizes and is committed to its role in reducing the contribution. of salts to the Colorado River System from public lands. As in past years, we undertake this responsibility through the multitude of individual management decisions that are made within each BLM jurisdiction. While salinity is not segregated as a specific program, it is affected b)l almost all other land management decisions that are made. Progress in salt reduction (s therefore achieved through efforts to minimize the impacts of grazing, protect riparian ar~as, reduce offroad vehicle impacts, conduct prescribed burns, and generally manage vegetative 'cover and reduce erosion on public lands. Due to the imprecise boundaries encompassed by many management decisions and the large areas affected, it is difficult to determine actual impacts on salinity with any precision. However, significant reductions in salt loading to the Colorado River are being achieved each year, and in FY 99 we hope to develop better mechanisms to quantify the reduction in salt loading associated with many of these land-use decisions and activities. Arizona Arizona ailocated $60,000 for salinity control projects in FY98, achieving an estimated salt reduction in excess of 100 tons/year. A substantial part of that amount went to the Arizona Strip FieldtOffice for the Clayhole seeding project, in which over 3500 acres of eroding brush areas were treated in the Langs Run watershed. A 6000 acre prescribed burn was conducted in the Ft. Pearce area, and 2000 acres have been reseeded. An additional 2200 acre burn is still scheduled in FY-98. Improved ground cover and reduced runoff from the watershed could reduce salt reaching the Colorado River by 20-30 tons per year over the next 5 years. Further salt savings will be realized by the Arizona Strip Field Office through maintenance of fences and the repair and realignment of roads on the Kanab Plateau. Two miles of road were closed and additional road upgraded in FY-9898. The Havas\! and Kingman Field Office's have continued with burro removal efforts. Nearly 200 burros were removed from Alamo Lake and the Black Mountain area in FY-98, resulting in an additional 10-20 tons of salt savings over the next ten years. The Havasu Field Office undertook fa bank stabilization project along the Colorado River that will significantly reduce river sedimentation from bank damage due to waves caused by power boats. Work in ttle Kingman Field Office included reseeding about 400 acres of eroding brush areas on the Music Mountains and about 30 miles of road maintenance. This will reduce sedimentation from runoff from the Hualapai Mountain Road, Big Wash Road in the Cerbat Mountains, and Hell's Canyon Road in the Music Mountains. Work on the Wright Creek riparian fence will protect an additional two miles of riparian area. A new grazing system was implemented on the Hibernia Allotment to improve cover by providing some summer rest for high elevation 13 d_3/, ,,,,,,.~'",,-', r j: ... . ", -l r J ~ ,%' ~'c' , ~i -:t j . -,' ~~ ~ .f '.'\. "'