WSP01995 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

o C(l Q') N Under separate agreements reached with the Bureau of Reclamation and Burlington Resources, several flo'-Ving saline wells are under contract to be plugged on the Navajo Reservation in Aneth, Utah. Under the agreements, BOR administers the contract, and BLM develops the plugging requirements and provides technical expertise. New Mexico BLM administers oil and gas operations on all of the Navajo reservation. The agreement with BOR targeted the Aneth Day School Well, No. N35. with leftover money to be used for plugging other saline wells in the Aneth area. Substantial permanent salt savings of roughly 1,150 tons per year are anticipated from the N35 well alone. ~ ,'~1' Burlington Resources agreed to re-enter and plug the Navajo IA well in the Aneth, Utah area. Southland (Royalty drilled the well in 1963, and Burlington Resources subsequently acquired the leases. Silinity measurements conducted on this well in April 1997 indicated 5.900 ppm and a flow of approximately 37 gpm. Plugging this well will permanently eliminate an estimated additional 480 tons per year of salt reaching the Colorado River System. The plugging plans for both wells have been approved and the work is targeted for completion in the first quarter of FY -99. The salt reduction resulting from the plugging of these wells will be reflected in reports for FY -99 and beyond. Utah In FY-98, an additional 12,000-13,000 tons of salt savings was reported by Utah, the largest reduction coming from the Richfield District, which reported an estimated reduction in salt loading of.over 12.000 tons. This savings was achieved mainly through maintenance of reservoirs and riparian structures and specific strategies implemented for grazing and vegetative managemep.t. Roughly $11.900 in maintenance was performed on Golden Pond and Goat Water Reservoirs, accounting for 5-10 tons per year of the Utah total. Another $13,000 was spent on reconstruction of a protective fence and construction of a dike and four upstream water impoundments in the Meadow Gulch watershed, accounting for a salt reduction of about 27 tons per year. All of the above structures are located in drainages ultimately tributary to the Colorado River. ,;~ .? In collabor.ation with the State and the National Park Service, BLM's grazing season was shortened by 45 days in the Waterpocket Allotment. This represents 81,000 acres bordering Lake Powell. Spring use will now end April 15 instead of May 30. allowing for improved vegetative growth and accounting for a significant part of the 12,500 tons per year reduction in salt loading to Lake Powell. ';;j ( "i "f ",! ! '" Vegetative management projects were conducted in the South Creek drainage. These included reseeding an area heavily used by the Henry Mountain buffalo herd, and removal of the tree competitiob on approximately 500 acres to maintain grass cover and prevent upland run-off into the mancos shale area below the seeding. i ;\ :1 l Salinity control accomplishments in the Vernal District were achieved mainly through land treatments, such as prescribed burns, and construction projects. These activities accounted for roughly 250 tons per year of Utah's total salt load reduction. Most of the salinity control work .1 17 '1, 'J ,;:J :1