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<br />I. INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />The McElmo Creek Salinity Project area is located in <br />Montezuma County, which is in the southwest corner of <br />Colorado and is part of the area called the Four Corners. <br />The project area is approximately 29,000 acres. The main <br />crop in the area is irrigated alfalfa. The average farm <br />size is approximately 80 acres and the average field size is <br />less than 30 acres. There are approximately 12 full time <br />farmers and the rest are part-time farmers. <br /> <br />The yearly rainfall average is 12 inches. The last <br />four years have been extremely dry with yearly rainfall <br />amounts around 5 to 7 inches. The main source of water for <br />crop growth is irrigation water from McPhee Reservoir on the <br />Dolores River. This river then flows into the Colorado <br />River at a point near Cisco, Utah, which is 110 miles <br />northeast of the project area. The drainage water from the <br />project area flows into McElmo Creek and not back into the <br />Dolores River. The McElmo Creek is a tributary to the San <br />Juan River which is a tributary to the Colorado River. <br /> <br />For planning and cost share purposes the McElmo Creek <br />Unit has been divided into four priority areas. The map <br />showing the planning and cost share priority areas is <br />located in the appendix. <br /> <br />Public Law 93-320, as amended, requires USDA to monitor <br />on-farm salinity control activities and to evaluate program <br />effectiveness for reducing salt load contributions to the <br />Colorado River. Additionally, USDA recognized the <br />importance of evaluating project impacts on wetlands and <br />other wildlife values and assessing local economic effects <br />of project implementation. The McElmo Creek Monitoring & <br />Evaluation Program has been set up to carry out the <br />monitoring process in Montezuma county. <br /> <br />lj12,\(j\1 <br />