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<br />!'- <br />',-:1') <br />o <br />o <br />("") <br />-::::> <br /> <br />Relationshio with Other Pro;ects <br /> <br />The Government Highline Canal and the Orchard Mesa Canal systems <br />comprise the Federal portions of the irrigation systems within the <br />Grand valley Unit. They are part of the Grand valley project, <br />which irrigates approximately 30,000 acres of project lands. <br />project water for the Grand valley project is diverted from the <br />Colorado River into the Government Highline Canal at the Grand <br />Valley Diversion Dam about 8 miles upstream from the town of <br />Palisade. About 4.6 miles below the diversion dam, water for the <br />Orchard Mesa Division is diverted from the canal. The Grand Valley <br />Water Users Association (GVWUA) is responsible for O&M of project <br />facilities (except for the Orchard Mesa Canal system, which is <br />operated by the Orchard Mesa Irrigation District). The concurrence <br />of the GVWUA in this canal lining project is important because of <br />the condition set forth in Section 202 of the authorizing <br />legislation for Grand valley Unit (Public Law 93-320) which <br />requires the Secretary of the Interior to enter into an O&M <br />contract with any organization operating and maintaining the <br />distribution system. <br /> <br />At Palisade, water is also diverted from the Government Highline <br />Canal into the Price and Stubb Ditches to serve 4,590 acres of non- <br />project lands within the Unit. These lands are served by the Mesa <br />County Irrigation District (MCID) and palisade Irrigation District <br />(PID). Through a "carriage contract," some water of MCID and PID <br />is also carried by the Government Highline Canal. There are 44 <br />headgates in Reach 1 releasing this water to MCID and PID lands; <br />the GVWUA maintains these headgates which would be replaced upon <br />lining of the canal. <br /> <br />To accomplish salinity control, Reclamation and the U.S. Department <br />of Agriculture's Soil Conservation Service (SCS) conduct a two- <br />segment program. Reclamation is directing the off-farm improvement <br />segment which consists of lining or piping Federal and private <br />canals and laterals to reduce seepage. The on-farm program of the <br />SCS consists of working with farmers to upgrade their farm <br />irrigation systems and improve irrigation management, on a cost <br />sharing basis. The SCS's on-farm program is not dependent on the <br />activities of Reclamation, but they coordinate activities whenever <br />possible to accomplish the goals of the salinity control program. <br /> <br />8 <br />