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<br />The BIg Sandy River originates in the
<br />mountarns of west central Wyoming and
<br />flows southerly to the Big Sandy
<br />Reservoir and Dam where most of the
<br />flow IS dtverted for irrigation. The nver
<br />annually discharges approximately
<br />110,000 tons of dissolved solids in the
<br />reach under study. corresponding to a
<br />salt concentration of 9 mg/L at Imperial
<br />Dam.
<br />Investigations indicate that sarine
<br />seeps enter an aquifer(s) that originates
<br />near the Big Sandy Reservoir and
<br />extends severa! miles to the Big Bend
<br />area on the Big Sandy River. The seeps
<br />discharge from the aquifer(s) along a 15-
<br />mile reach of the river. Some excess
<br />IrrigatIOn water that circulates below thf!
<br />ground surface also contacts shale of
<br />the Green River Formation This saline
<br />water enters tile aquifer and eventually
<br />seeps into the 6.g Sandy River.
<br />Energy compa.nies have indicated an
<br />interest In the use of BIg Sandy water for
<br />coal-related energy development
<br />Reclamation is investigating off-farm
<br />methods of salinity control through a
<br />professional serVices contract awarded
<br />In July 1981 In the amollnt of $680,130.
<br />The contractor is expected to idenl\fy
<br />beneficial uses for saline water as w€'11 as
<br />alternative collection and disposal
<br />rlans. A planning teClm and public
<br />Involvement program have been
<br />orgal1lzed to assist in selecting a
<br />lecommended plan by tile summer of
<br />1982 The feasihtlity report IS scheduled
<br />for completion in November 1984
<br />
<br />USDA Progress In Grand
<br />Valley
<br />
<br />The on-farm program for salinity
<br />control In the Grand Valley contInues to
<br />progress well The Agricultural
<br />Stabilization and Conservation Servic~
<br />(ASeS) office at Grand Junction has
<br />forwarded 363 conservation
<br />applications for conservation assistance
<br />to the Sod ConservatIOn Service (SCS).
<br />Plann:ng and deSign work has been
<br />completed by SCS on these applications
<br />and implementation is pending. Forty-
<br />four proj~cts are unc1er con~trucl.ion ;Jnrj
<br />
<br />52 others are ready for construction
<br />Some 142 practices have been
<br />completed. The ASCS cost shares with
<br />farmers on improvements.
<br />Emery Johnson. SCS District
<br />Conservatiol1lst, says "The conservatio:t
<br />Improvements we've made so far thIs
<br />fiscal year will reduce salt loadmg by
<br />approximately 3500 tons per year."
<br />Farmers tlave b8en helped to Install
<br />70,750 feet 01 underground pipeline,
<br />29,119 fee! of concrete ditch I 1n1l1g , and
<br />22,222 feet of gated pipe during the fir~~t
<br />9 months of Fiscal Year 1981.
<br />Richard Wilcox. Lomn. Colorado,
<br />installed a cablegation (automated)
<br />system last spring fhls is the fIrst
<br />cablegatlon system installed and it 15
<br />bemg closely monitored by Colorado
<br />State University, the Agncultural
<br />Research Service (ARS) and by SCS.
<br />Jotlllson says cflblegatlcn looks to be
<br />the mosl promising of the autonlElted
<br />systems installed.
<br />R.chard Wilcox likes tile system. tQo:
<br />''I've got the best irrigation system in the
<br />United States,'. 11e proudly claims.
<br />Cablegation W3S developec1 by the
<br />ARS at Its research station at t(imbeny,
<br />Idaho It utilizes a PVC gated pipe
<br />material whIch is installed on or just
<br />below the soil surfacA This PC1.rtlcul,H
<br />pipe resists deterlrJration from sur:lig",t
<br />so it can be laid near U"le surface.
<br />A battery powered plug travels il"lside
<br />the pipe, attacfled to .-:1 cable which
<br />contr()ls the speed of the plug. Water
<br />forces tt-,8 pluq t~rcll.lgh the pipe, Elnd 8J
<br />it passes a gate the W8,ter flows out. As a
<br />npw gate opens, an earlier gate Slltlts oil
<br />Cablegation is !0W.COSt compared to
<br />ott18r autor1ated sySI8,'P.S. Wilcox paid
<br />approximr:)t(?ly $4.000 for materials. HG
<br />did much of the ir.st;:lllation himself.
<br />One problem did occur. Sedim8f:\
<br />built up bel1ind the plU9 causin9 varied
<br />flOWS of water outnl€ gates Tec!lij:clans
<br />r:orrected t11is by p'Jttiqg (3 11018 In tho::;
<br />tine every 60 fget to flush tr!e system
<br />periodically.
<br />p.. (~'lirli)se irrigation team fr'om Pel,ing
<br />v!slted the Grc-lnd Valley in ,I\UgllSt and
<br />was impressed Wltro what they saw.
<br />Johnson SCl.yS the Chlnes.e were
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<br />particularly interested in management
<br />tec;hniques--how we irrigate wIthout
<br />bringing the we'ter table into the rocl
<br />zone cmd how individual fannels anrj
<br />entire water districts manage their water.
<br />The Chinese team spent one m0nth
<br />touring irrigation projects In California,
<br />Arizona, Utah and Colorado. They will
<br />use this kf"lowledge to devclop a pl;J1l 10
<br />Improve 13 million hectar.-?,s of saline soils
<br />In northern Chllla.
<br />
<br />SCS, R"lclamation Stmt
<br />Coordinated Program In Uinta
<br />Basin
<br />
<br />To provide better coordination among
<br />FleclRmation and SCS, representati\/C's
<br />from each are meeting to coordir,8te tile
<br />planning effort on the Uinta 8a5m wah.:r
<br />systems improvement program. The
<br />team will meet on 8. regular basis and
<br />with local 'Nater users to obtair, tll,,:ir
<br />IndiVidual Input about pn'gmm
<br />d~veloprnent. Recl~matlon ~r'c SC~)
<br />believe ttl;.H through ~l CQord1rated effort
<br />3UC~ as thi.s, they can r;bt~wl direct input
<br />fraln th<:: 10(";<11 '/lj3.tE" llser~ .':!flcl as!jLlr('
<br />Ulat they are n':qresentlr.'J th..,: 10cal
<br />Inter"J~ts
<br />.'\.nyone !ntf.r,:~.lerj In 1'1forPI.ltion
<br /><:l~;0Ut1hC' water. systems Impr0Vem€,nt
<br />fHl)grJln nr Wisrlirlg to provi(j~
<br />cOrllrTlenls shl)uld '_:;:)ntaci thf?- lltClh
<br />f-~roie\':ts Cffic..;!::! fGr further I!Jf(Jrn1:311':1:1
<br />Write ~Il~nl Clt P O. ~3(j)l 137m. PrO'fD.IJ:3t"1
<br />84601. (If call Rop P,tlman ::t (EIl.11 ~
<br />::I7Lf-BG10. 8:--tenSIO'l 20:i
<br />T11~ Uinta IJ8.sin Ur,it stucly 2,,-('(>, IS :"
<br />jlcrtheastern UI8h in Dl'r;I.\'::>3nr:. .;J.t!Ci
<br />Uintah COI :ntIPS. Re('lam.~tt;IJ'l.S P!.o:.':.;''1t
<br />~'i!!dy inljl')~\:ing '~ar]31Iif1i'l~J '3 lil~~I!.':'(1 ,(.)
<br />3n ,~U':?21 (.'f ! f). I 20(-1 irri-=!,<1tr:~c- ?crf!~
<br />."djditl.:it)~,1 Stlfi,'~s r1f2 c,(:h8(!~d;:,c~ "0. tr.::
<br />rerT:(lill,r,(] Ir'-i9c1~.?rj jlf-~:;'S a1 3 I~:'!f"r jd!P.
<br />\fJH"~. ':l'.JJI'I'i .i: irlf~ \:1::uitl ,jeh.'rl'.-,lr01.:-:'3
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