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<br />o <br />en <br />.+:a. <br />.+:a. <br /> <br />-219- <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />, <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />, <br />I <br />, <br />I <br />I, <br />I <br />I <br />, <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />.v' <br /> <br /> <br />,I <br /> <br />The SCS program varies from the WPRS in that it in- <br />cludes the entire Lower Gunnison drainage (Smith Fork, North <br />Fork and Uncompahgre). SCS studies in 1980 indicate several <br />areas including North Delta, Tongue Creek, certain areas <br />near Hotchkiss, Paonia and Crawfords also contribute high <br />salt loads (USDA, SCS, 1979a). <br />The approved Colorado State 208 Plan for the area has <br />also specifically identified the Tongue Creek below Cedaredge <br />area for improvement. Tongue Creek flows into the. Gunnison <br />River from the northwest just above Delta. These lands <br />include about 1,960 hectares in the North Fork subbasin. <br />Much of this irrigated area is also underlain by Mancos <br />shales. There are about 66 km of canals and 134 kID of farm <br />ditches serving the area. Nearly all the irrigation in <br />Tongue-Creek is by gravity surface methods (Kepler, 1979). <br />A~n~al diversions from the major Tongue Creek has averaged <br />about 1,585 ha-mfor an average of 0.97 ha-m/ha which is <br />below the average for the rest of the Lower Gunnison. <br />Due to the steep topographic conditions and the crops <br />grown, much of the irrigated area in the North Fork and <br />Smith Fork subbasins is almost ideally suited for gravity, <br />pressurized sprinkle irrigation systems. Properly designed <br />and operated sideroll-wheel move sprinklers would work well <br />on the small grain and forage crops. Considering recent <br />advances in low pressure-low application rate sprinkle <br />equipment technology, undertreesprinklers would be well <br />suited for the orchards. The sprinklers would also offer <br />