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<br />Reclamation cooperates )vith USDA in their efforts in
<br />the Grand Valley. USDA's qfUarrp.lateral improvements
<br />thus far fOf the project .inclJ.lde completing 36.4 miles of
<br />pipelines and 11.1 miles of~itch lining, representing 25
<br />percent of the overall proj~t goats in the Grand Valley.
<br />Other USDA work is discuSsed later in this document.
<br />Monitoring thus far has s~own a reduction in salt load
<br />of over 47,000 tons annually as a :result of USDA and
<br />Reclamation efforts in the Grand Valley area.
<br />Plans to provide for inci4ental wildlife habitat
<br />replacement to compensate :for losses resulting from the
<br />program arc proceeding concurrently with project
<br />developmer.t.
<br />Before initiation of salinity control activities, the entire
<br />Grand Valley contributed a~ average of 580,000 tons of
<br />salt annually to the Colorado River. Most of tbe salt is
<br />leached from the soil and u~derlying marine shale by
<br />water delivery system losses)and deep percolation from
<br />over-irrigation in agriculturt(l areas, The total USDA and
<br />Reclamation efforts in the Grend Valley area are expected
<br />to reduce the salt load by about 370,000 tons annually.
<br />Paradox Valley in south~stern Colorado is II
<br />collapsed salt anticline underlain by a salt dome. The
<br />dome adds about 205,000 t()ns of aalt annually t.O. the
<br />Dolores River from ground water which originates in the
<br />va.lley. The plan is designed t~ prevent 180,oootons of salt
<br />annually from entering the Colora,do River system by
<br />pumping the saline ground ~ater (brine of 260,000 mg/L
<br />TDS) from shallow collecti611 wells along the Dolores
<br />River, thus preventing it fro{n surfacing in ~he riverbed.
<br />Deep well injection was s~ected 'as a test method to
<br />dispose of the brine becau.sejit is technically sound, and
<br />environmentally and econonPcally'attractive. After
<br />construction of an injection t,-ell, filtration plant, and
<br />pipeline 10 test the injection formation for disposal
<br />capacity, a decision will be m4de whether to use deep wen
<br />injection as A permanent disposal method.
<br />In the Las VeRas Wash U~t, a 3.5 mile pipeline
<br />(Pittman Bypass) todetourfr h water around salinesoiis
<br />is complete and in operation; The expected salt IQad
<br />reduction is 7,000 tons annu~l1y.
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<br />perfonriance. A letter of agr4emen~ for cost-sharing,
<br />equipment design, and all ophational plan for tb
<br />verification unit was complete~ in FY 1985; installation of
<br />the facilities will'soon be cOrl?plete and operational.
<br />
<br />Bureau of Land
<br />Management
<br />
<br />Reeently BLM has concentrated on developing a
<br />comprehensive salinity contr~1 program for all pUblic
<br />lands that they administer in )he Colorado Ri.ver Basin.
<br />They are also planning for laM use activities and
<br />implementing projects with s41inity'oontrol features.
<br />Public Law 98-569, which.i1;htends Public Law 93-320,
<br />directed the Secretary of the Interior to develop a
<br />comprehensive, program to' m,nimiu salt contributions
<br />from lands administered by BtM. ABLM task force has
<br />developed an outline and draft policy lor the mandated
<br />July 1987 report.
<br />Salinity control has been i~tifie~ as a l'eSOUlct \sS\lt
<br />in several resource managemeht plans within the
<br />Colorado Rivtl Basin. Throuah the planning system
<br />three activity plans were developed in 1985 in which
<br />salinity control has been iden~fied as one of the
<br />objectives-two plans in Colorado and one in Utah.
<br />
<br />Geological Survey
<br />
<br />In cooperation with State, 19ca1, and other Federal
<br />agencies, the USGS.WRD (W,ter Resources Division)
<br />maintains 22 station~ stri~tly fpr the analysis,of tqe
<br />salinity control program. In a4,dition, the Geological
<br />Survey conducts hydrological $tudieS and maintains a
<br />much larger hydrologic data n~twork.
<br />Results of the hydrologic stuaiesand information from
<br />the data networks form the b8$is for a better
<br />understanding of salinitymecht(nisms. As an integral part
<br />of the hydrologic studies, the ~RD has developed a data
<br />base to support site specific safinity studies as well as to
<br />evaluate data at several key Slll,tions in the river system.
<br />USGS in one study is analyzins the V9riations in salinity
<br />over time and defining man's influence on salinity.
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<br />Valley and Las Vegas Wash, Glenwood-Dotsero Springs
<br />and Meeker Dome Uuhs in Colorado,'as well as LaVerkin
<br />flprings Unifin Utah ~e point sou~s.
<br />During verification studies, three wells in thl<,M:eeker
<br />Dome aiea were successfully plu8gefi. reducing',salt
<br />loading by 19;000 tons annually. StlIHies haVe been
<br />concluded on La Verkin Springs Unit and are being
<br />concluded on Glenwood-Dotsero Springs Unit. Costs of
<br />salinity control programs at these sites were determined to
<br />be beyond- an acceptable cost-effecti~ness range.
<br />Diffuse source salinity control actiVities would involve
<br />watershed management, land treatment, and the
<br />coIIection and disposal of irrigation return flows. Utah's
<br />Dirty Devil River and Price...sa.n Rafael Rivers Units,
<br />Wyoming's Big Sandy River Unit, 'a~ the LOwer Virgin
<br />River Unit in Nevada are identified diffuse sources
<br />currently under study,
<br />Saline Water Use an.d Disposal Opportunities: A
<br />September 1981 Special Report suggii'sted opportunities
<br />for collecting saline waters in the Colorado IUver Basin
<br />for use in the energy industry. Thecou!iePtsdeveloped are
<br />alternatives to conventional structural control methods
<br />involving lined evaporation ponds-and/or desalination
<br />plants. ' ,
<br />About 61O;OOO-acre-feet of saline water per year could
<br />be collecte!! fo[ disposal or for use in ~nergy production,
<br />such asfo.rcoolingcoaHired powerplaI1-ts. Ifabout.half of
<br />this water were collected for USe, about 500,oilO tons of .
<br />salt annually could.be removed from the Colorado River
<br />system. or special concern in the studies are legal,
<br />institutional, environmental, and cost:Sharing.iSsues.
<br />Reclamation research activities inclUde such items as
<br />saline water fQr cooling systems, solution mining with
<br />saline water, power production from solar salt gradient
<br />ponds, ion exchange water softening, and use of saline
<br />water in a salt tolerant emergent plant process.
<br />Installation of a saline water cooling system at Etiwanda
<br />Power Plant at Ontario, California, appea1'S to be the
<br />most cost effective way ~o verify that '"sing saline water
<br />provides sa.in.ity control benefits and addresses the
<br />conce~ns of the industry regarding equipment .
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<br />Large salt crystals surrounding the Paradox Valley
<br />temporary evaporation pond.
<br />
<br />Another strategy being considered in the area is to Use
<br />underground barriers in selected areas to develop a
<br />groundwater detention basin system to reduce underflows
<br />where salt pick-up theoretically occurs and to prevent salt
<br />from entering the Wash. A dike and slurry trench/wall
<br />wiU be constru<;ted 'near the Whitney 'area to .verify the
<br />feasi~ility of this strategy.
<br />Other units'in the CRWQIP (Colorado River Water
<br />Quality 'Improvement Program) have 'been or are under
<br />, study and are categorized by. the type'of control method
<br />being studied for each unit.
<br />Irrigation source salinity control activities within
<br />Reclamation would reduce salt loading by improving
<br />itrigation'delivery systems that currently leach salt from
<br />marine shales and other saline sources. In add~tion to
<br />Grand Valley and Dolores Project (formerly McElmo
<br />Creek Unit), the lower Gunnison Basin Unit in Colorado,
<br />the Uinta Basin Unit in Utah, and the Palo Verde
<br />Irrigation District Unit in California are irrigation salt
<br />sources under investigation by Reclamation.
<br />. Point source salinity control activities would remove
<br />salt [tom localized an:as stich as mineral springs,
<br />abandoned oil wells, and geyseis: I.n addition to Par,adox
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<br />Fish and Wildlife
<br />Service
<br />
<br />The FWS activities are important to the
<br />implementation and progress of the CRWQIP. PWS
<br />provides gUidance for replacing habitat potentially lost
<br />primarily through canal and lateral lining and voluntary
<br />onfarmprograms.
<br />Pish and Wildlife Coordination Act reports,' planning
<br />aid letters, and comments on draft environmental
<br />statements are some of the many services that FWS
<br />provides under the CRWQIP. FWS provides
<br />membership to HEP (Habitat. Evaluation Procedure)
<br />Teams that conduct field work and analyze the impacts of
<br />program imple,mentation and construction on the area's
<br />habitat. Lists of endangered species in'a proje<;t area a{ld
<br />biological opinions are provided by,FWS under
<br />pro~isions of the Endangerel,1 Species Act.
<br />. Fish and wildlife measures. planned to offset possible
<br />jmpacls include acquisition and development of wildlife
<br />habitat, constr~ction of watering ponds, aild installation
<br />of fences or escape structures to reduce big game losses.
<br />Voluntary SCS onfann improvements such as select
<br />pla.ntings, strip-har.vesting of some crops, windbreak
<br />development, and small pond.s are also planned.
<br />Through the close cpoperation and coordination of
<br />Reclamation, the SCS, the FWS, the States, and local
<br />entities, habit~ts will be evaluated and recommlmdations
<br />for replacement developed., Implementation' of incidental
<br />wildlife habitat replacement .,will pr.octed concurrently
<br />with ill'lp)emvnta~ion of Reclamation proj~cts.
<br />
<br />EPAROLE
<br />
<br />The principal EP A programs dealing with salinity
<br />control are: (1) Water Quality Management Planning,
<br />(2) Water Quality Standards, and (3) the National
<br />Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
<br />Permits. Primary implementation of these programs is
<br />generally delegated to the States; however, EPA retains
<br />oversight and llPproval responsibilities.
<br />Additional SPA activities include program support
<br />and guidance for State and Forum salinity control
<br />
<br />activities. Ex.amples of these activities include testimony
<br />before Congress in support ofthe cooperative,'basin-wide
<br />salinity control effort; and working with individual states
<br />to assist. in iroplcinenting state salinity:contro1'activities,
<br />EPA reviews all environmental statements and
<br />comments on Interior and USDA environmental
<br />statements on sa4nity control projects, because of its
<br />responsibilitje~ under the Clean Air Act'and the National
<br />Environmental Policy Act. BPA encoutages alternatives
<br />that minimize and mitigate adverse saUnity impacts
<br />through various approachtls. including'water
<br />con,SCrvation and.industrial use of saline water. ErA has
<br />also been worldng with.Reclamation on salinity contrQI
<br />prQjects where underground disposal options are
<br />considered.
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<br />USDA ROLE
<br />
<br />Numerous'agencies within USDA a~ involved in
<br />Colorado River salinity control activities as desis.nated by
<br />the Secretary of AgriCUlture to carry out the provisions of
<br />Public Law 93-320 as amended by Public Law 98-569.
<br />SpecifiCally section 202(0) authorizes USDA to establish
<br />a voluntary co'operative salinity control program with
<br />landowners to improve onfaon water nianagement'.
<br />Improvements include related irrigation latends and
<br />reductio'n of erosion on private land. Majo'r USDA
<br />activities include:
<br />
<br />1. Irrigation salt source studies (SCS)
<br />2. Project .implementation inchiding
<br />a. Technical assistance (SCS)
<br />1;>. Fina.ilcia1 assistance (ASCS)
<br />c. Educational and informational .assistance (ES)
<br />3. Research and demonstration (ARS, CSRS)
<br />4. Monitoring and evaluation (SCS)
<br />
<br />Poor water management systems on irrigated
<br />agricultural lands have resulted in excessive distribution
<br />system seepage, over.irrigation, low irrigation
<br />efficiencies, e.x,cessive. deep percolation, lUld high ,surface
<br />'runoff. Collectively; th,ese problems have resulted in
<br />increased salinity problems by leaching sluts into the river
<br />system. Approximately I million acres are irrigated in 17
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