WSP02111

• File Number: 8273.600
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control - Federal Agencies - USDA
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 2/1/1992
• Author: USDA
• Title: DRAFT - Grand Valley Salinity Project Monitoring and Evaluation Program - 1991 Annual Report
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Annual Report

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MONITORING AND EVALUATION PROGRAM
1991 ANNUAL REPORT

I. INTRODUCTION

1. Overview

This report has been prepared as an annual status report to present
the results of the 1991 monitoring and evaluation activities in
various discipl ines. Annual reports have been prepared and presented
since 1985. These annual reports provide information on, data base
collected since the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) program began in
1984. This program was implemented under the Colorado Ri~er Basin
Sa Ii n i ty Contro I Act of 1974 <Pub lie Law 93-320). The Act was
establ ished to, enhance and protect qual ity of water in the Colorado
River through sal inity control. Implementation of the U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA) Grand Valley Sal inity Program began in 1979.

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The monitoring program was designed to evaluate the impacts of
sa Ii n i ty pract ices due to the USDA Sa Ii n i ty Contro I ,Prog rams 'i n the
Grand Valley project area <Figure 1). The effects of irrigation
practices on salt load reduction, economics, .\oIildlife ,habitat and soi
salinity levels have been evaluated annually on selected fields as
outlined in the 1983 USDA Monitoring and Evaluation Plan. Monitoring
wi I I be continued for several years to determine the long-term impacts
of improved salinity.practices.

The 19B3 USDA Monitoring and Evaluation Plan is being replaced with a
draft "Framework Plan for Monitoring and Evaluating the Colorado River
Sal in i ty Contro I Pro'gram" pub I, shed on June 23, 1991. Th i s document
outl i nes the scope, methodo logy, and report format to be foll.owed by
all sal inity proJect offices. In the Grand Valley project area this
framework plan wi II be followed where possible without disrupting
current program format which has been implemented for more than seven
years.

2. Project Location

The Grand Valley Project Area is located along the Colorado River in
West Mesa County in West Centra I Co lorado (F i gure 1) near the
Colorado-Utah State line. Communities located in the Grand Valley
area are - Grand Juncti on, Pa Ii sade and C Ii fton to the east; Fru ita,
Loma and Mack on the west end.

The Grand Va II ey is under I a in by Mancos sha I e format i on and covers
about 126,000 acres, of \oIhich 66,000 acres is irrigated cropland.

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