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5 tv ~) r~ u' USDA Annual Progress Report October 1, 1979 through September 30, 1980 Title I - Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program ~ellton-Mohawk Irrigation & Drainage District, Arizona ONFARM SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM General The SCS enters into contracts with eligible landowners and operators (cooperators) to install conservation practices that will directly contribute to the ob~ectives of the program--reduce irrigation return flows. The SCS contract provides for technical and cost-sharing assistance and irrigation water management efficiency checks over a 2-year period after installation of the practices. The local conservation district board establishes planning and installation priorities in order to most effectively use the resources allocated to this program. Priorities are established by considering historical irrigation efficiencies, crops grown, the adequacy of the onfarm irrigation systems and soil characteristics. Lands with the greatest potential for increasing irrigation efficiencies and decreasing drainage return flows receive the highest priority. Funding The cost-share rate of 75 percent Federal and, 25 percent cooperator was established by the Secretary of the Interior. ' Funds to cover the contract cost sharing and the SCS technical services are transferred periodically from WPRS to SCS under a 1974 Title I Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). In FY 1980, 38 contracts were signed with cooperators, covering 5,906 acres. This involved $2,656,004 of Federal funds and $885.335 of cooperator funds. A total of $5,665,922 of Federal funds and $1,888,641 of cooperator funds have been committed for cost sharing under the program to date. The cost of SCS technical assistance in carrying out the onfarm irrigation improvement program has been $1,229,622 since its initiation in 1975. Applications, Planning and Contracts A total of 278 applications for cost sharing have been received on some 40,500 acres since inception of the program. Contracts have been developed on a total of 168 priority applicants covering 24,779 acres. Planning and contracting under the original Program Level 3 (23,800 acres), established in the 1974 report, has been completed. Assistance is noW being prOVided landowners on an additional 37,950 acres of irrigation under the recently approved Option 1 (documented in the April 3, 1980 supplement to the 1974 MOA between SCS and WPRS). During FY 1980, 38 contracts were signed with cooperators on 5,906 acres. Conservation practices planned under the contracts include 193.3B5 linear feet of ditch lining, 5,288 acres of land leveling, 4 pressure systems, 4 pumping plants, 1,243 structures for water control and measurement, and 57 acres of soil improvement.