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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />3685 <br /> <br />Grand Valley unit (SCS) ~ Colorado <br /> <br />In December, 1977, the Soil Conservation Service presented <br />its "On Farm Program for Salinity Control" in the Grand valley <br />Unit. Investigations revealed that the Grand Valley contributes <br />about 700,000 tons of salt annually to the Colorado River. <br />Approximately 300,000 tons of this total was attributed to <br />inefficient on-farm irrigation practices and systems while runoff <br />and erosion from upland areas adds an additional 80,000 tons. <br /> <br />The selected plan recommends management in addition to <br />physical improvements for both irrigated lands and grazed <br />non-irrigated lands. The plan is comprised of individual <br />conservation plans to be implemented by farmers and ranchers on <br />land under their ownership or control. Management practice <br />improvements on irrigated lands include regulating size of <br />streamflow, number of irrigations, and duration and frequency of <br />each irrigation. Similar practices to be implemented on <br />non-irrigated lands include regulating the number of grazing <br />animals, the season of grazing, and the duration of grazing. <br /> <br />Ditch lining or pipelines, land leveling, subsurface closed <br />drains, and drip or sprinkler irrigation were identified as <br />physical improvements for irrigated lands while range seeding, <br />fencing, stockwater development, erosion control dams, and gully <br />plugs are just a few of the physical improvements planned for <br />non-irrigated grazing lands. <br /> <br />The initial on-farm program was modified in 1979 to include <br />the lining of 190 miles of off-farm laterals necessary for proper <br />functioning of the on-farm improvements. <br /> <br />The program specifies a 10-year implementation plan that <br />when completed could reduce salt loading in the Colorado River by <br />230,000 tons/year. The salt concentration at Imperial Dam could <br />be reduced by 24 mg/L at a cost of $167,000 mg/L. <br /> <br />The 10-year implementation plan is in its fourth year. <br />Forty-four projects are under construction and 52 others are <br />ready for construction. Some 142 management improvement <br />practices have been completed. Approximately 140,000 feet of <br />on-farm laterals have been lined or laid in pipeline since the <br />programs inception and nearly 124,00 feet of that was installed <br />in Fiscal Year 1981. In addition, 63,000 feet of off-farm <br />laterals have been lined and 1400 acres of land have been <br />leveled. Several hundred automated irrigation systems have been <br />installed. <br /> <br />DRS/gI <br />12/7/81 <br /> <br />-18- <br />