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<br />I. INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />w <br />w <br />~ <br />00 <br /> <br />In 1975, the Bureau of Land Management established a team to study salt runoff <br />from public lands in the Colorado River Basin. The emphasis of the program <br />Sili fted in 1983 from studi es to the i dentifi cati on of opportuniti es to reduce <br />salinity through watershed treatments and other land management activities. <br /> <br />The 8LH has issued two Salinity Status Reports (USDI, 1978; USDI, 1980). <br />The first (1977 Status Report) described the salinity problem and provided a <br />thorou~h revi ew of sal i nity 1 iterature, i ncl udi ng quantitati ve and qual itative <br />descriptions of salt pickup and transport mechanisms occurring on public <br />lands. The second (1978-79 Status Report) reviewed alternatives for managing <br />salinity on public lands, and proposed three specific point-source salinity <br />control projects. <br /> <br />The purpose of this report is to summarize the most important results and <br />conclusions from BLM studies completed during the 1980-82 period. In addi- <br />tion, we review specific techniques and alternatives for managing salinity <br />from diffuse overland sources. Studies to be reviewed are: <br /> <br />1. Monitoring study of ephemeral washes in the Price River Basin, Utah, <br />for storm runoff and water quality. <br /> <br />2. Monitoring study of three basins at Badger Wash, Colorado, for runoff <br />and water quality. <br /> <br />3. Studies of soil geomorphology, soil salinity, and vegetation in the <br />Woodside, Utah, area. <br /> <br />4. Rainfall simulation study of surface runoff and water quality on <br />three soil-landform units on Mancos shale. <br /> <br />5. Ra i nfa 11 simul ati on study of the effects of trampl i ng and vegetati ve <br />cover on runoff and water quality on Mancos shale rangelands. <br /> <br />6. Survey study of sediment accumulations in retention basins in Mancos <br />shale badlands. <br /> <br />7. Monitoring study of summer baseflow salt yields at eighteen locations <br />on streams in the Price River Basin, Utah. <br /> <br />8. Study of salt yields associated with the construction and operation <br />of a wildlife management area at Pariette Draw, Utah. <br /> <br />i4anagement techniques considered as alternatives for controlling salinity from <br />diffuse overland sources are reviewed. They include land treatments such as <br />contour furrows and trenches, and structural techniques such as retention <br />basins, gully plugs and gully headcut controls. <br /> <br />In general, the most saline rangelands have very poor vegetation cover and <br />offer only limited opportunities to manage salinity through grazing management <br />or vegetation management. Those opportunities are discussed. <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br />~ ~- <br /> <br />