Laserfiche WebLink
<br />.(,,\.l <br />c"n <br />101::;. .. <br />co <br /> <br />B-259297 <br /> <br />Bureau of Land <br />Management's Projects <br /> <br />From 1984 through September 30, 1994, BLM had spent about $7 million on <br />its salinity control program. BLM generally incorporates salinity control <br />objectives in its multipurpose resource land management plans, which <br />describe management alternatives for all resources on and uses of the <br />270 million acres of public land that BLM manages. As part of its <br />multipurpose land management, BLM has built structures in gullies <br />designed to prevent soil from washing away during heavy thunderstorms <br />and has improved ground cover that naturally holds the topsoil together <br />and keeps it from washing away. Additionally, BLM has implemented <br />specific salinity control projects, such as plugging abandoned oil and gas <br />wells that were known sources of salt. According to BLM'S salinity control <br />program coordinator, information on the specific number of salinity <br />control projects and their costs was not readily available. However, <br />according to this manager, BLM has undertaken at least 14 such projects. <br />Table 2 shows examples of BLM'S salinity control activities in fiscal year <br />1994, as well as the expenditures, by state, for these specific activities. For <br />fiscal year 1995, BLM expects to spend about $800,000 on salinity control. <br /> <br />Table 2: Selected Salinity Control <br />Activities by BLM in Fiscal Year 1994 <br /> <br />Stale <br />Arizona <br /> <br />Total expenditures for <br />salinity control (dollars <br />In thousands) <br /> <br />Examples of salinity control <br />activities <br />Inventoried soils to identify saline <br />soils; identified water sources for <br />salinity control; collected and <br />monitored water measurement data <br />Inventoried soils to identify saline <br />soils; installed water monitoring <br />stations; prescribed burning to <br />increase vegetation cover <br />Initiated a quarterly water quality <br />monitoring program; conducted <br />salinity studies; established vegetation <br />Conducted a study on the salinity of <br />three streams; updated a soil survey <br />to identify salinity <br />Revegetated 200 acres; reconstructed <br />an earthen dike and dam; collected <br />data on precipitation, associated <br />runoff, sediment, and the salt <br />contributed to the river <br /> <br />Plugged a flowing saline well; <br />rehabilitated 8 miles of eroding roads; <br />planted trees to stabilize eroding <br />stream banks <br /> <br />$49 <br /> <br />Colorado <br /> <br />149 <br /> <br />New Mexico <br /> <br />72 <br /> <br />Nevada <br /> <br />30 <br /> <br />Utah <br /> <br />180 <br /> <br />Wyoming <br /> <br />150 <br /> <br />Source: BLM. <br /> <br />Page 8 <br /> <br />GAOIRCED-95-58 Salinity Control Projects in the Colorado River Basin <br />