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<br />C. Extension Education <br /> <br />N <br />","'" <br />1<-- , <br />OJ <br /> <br />Without the benefit of federal Extension Service funding support, the exten- <br />sion education assistance at the salinity control project level must rely <br />solely upon 'state funding. ' In Colorado and Utah, the Cooperative Extension <br />S.rvice' agencies have provided a base level of extension support includ~ng <br />delllOns,tration, information, and education activities. <br />, , <br /> <br />Extension spee1:llHsts 'conducted water management workshops 'and othereduca- <br />tional progrems for farmers, technicians, county agents, : and" personnel of <br />agricultural services and supply businesses. They also worked ,directly with <br />farmers in fine tuning irrigation practices to improve irrigation,efficiencies <br />and economy of operations. All of these extension education, activities are <br />,valuable contributions to the'improved awareness and understandingof,the <br />Colorado River salinity problems, the causes, the relationships to. irrigation' <br />water management practices and the ,:subsequent contributions toward salt load <br />reductions. . <br /> <br />In Grand Valley, a special irrigation extension agent has been working ,since <br />198:3 to help with orgariizinglocal lateral groups fQr'Jlureauof Reclamation' <br />(BR) , lateral improvements and'UsDA onfarm irrigation water 'management improve_ <br />ments. The position was established through a Memorandum of Understanding <br />with BR, ES, and the Colorado Cooperative Extension Service with funding <br />support provided by the Bureau of Reclamation. For ,1984" this 'irrigation <br />extension agent spent approximately 50 percent of his time working with over <br />600 different people on irrigation water management and about 35 percent of, <br />the time on lateral organization' contacting nearly 400 individuals. <br />The remainder of the time was devoted to other related extension activities <br />:and a special Extension, newsletter with a distribution of nearly 1400. <br /> <br />D. Itesearch and Demonstration <br /> <br />USDArese'arch and demonstration activities are vital to the development of new <br />and improved water management practices for control of soil and water <br />salinity. Scientists 'at four ARB locations are involved in this coordinated <br />, effort: 'Riverside,Cali'flimis";Fort Collins, Colorado; Phoenix".Arizona;' and <br />Kimberly, Idaho. ' <br />, <br /> <br />U.S. Salinitv Laboratory. <br /> <br />,Two soil physicists have been added to the staff of the U.S. Salinity <br />Laboratory; one will be 'located at Riverside and will initiate experiments 'to <br />collect data and test models of crop response to salinity'and irrigation <br />management; the second will be located in Brawley, California and will conduct <br />research to increase'the intake rate of the heavy textured Imperial Valley <br />soils in order to reduce runoff and improve irrigation and leaching <br />efficiencies. The drainwater reuse project in the Imperial Valley, Which was <br />initiated in 1982 and described in the 1982 Annual Report, has shown no <br /> <br />-19- <br /> <br />