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<br />6 <br /> <br />l\:) <br />~) <br />r~ <br />~J <br /> <br />SCS is currently working with an additional 14 cooperators leading to <br />contracts on 2,285 acres of surface irrigation systems. The projected <br />Federal cost share for these system improvements is $800,000. In <br />addition, SCS is working with one cooperator to develop a contract for a <br />pressure system on 223 acres. All SCS contracts are reviewed and <br />approved by the Wellton-Mohawk Valley Natural Resource Conservation <br />District Board. After all practices under a contract are installed, <br />technical assistance is continued by SCS personnel for an additional <br />2 years to help the farmer fully implement sound irrigation water <br />management. <br /> <br />Practices 'Installed <br /> <br />Practices installed during FY 1980 and since inception of the program are <br />shown in Table 1. <br /> <br />Reduction in'Deep Percolation <br /> <br />Irrigation water management plans and technical assistance are being <br />provided to farmers participating in the program to help them achieve <br />higher application efficiencies, thus reducing deep percolation losses <br />and drainage return flows. Table 2 summarizes irrigation efficiencies <br />achieved for the 1980 crop year. Table 3 shows the reduction in deep <br />percolation for each crop. It is estimated that during the 1980 crop <br />year deep percolation was reduced nearly 15,000 acre feet on the <br />8,009 acres with practices installed (under contract). The greatest <br />reductions per acre were, with citrus, lettuce and alfalfa crops. <br /> <br />Flood flows in the adjoining Gila River during 1980 caused the watertable <br />on adjacent lands to rise significantly. An estimated 3,436 acres under <br />contract were affected seriously enough that reliable data were <br />unattainable or the fields could not be cropped due to the high <br />watertable and/or flooding. <br /> <br />Research and Demonstration Activities: <br /> <br />During FY 1980 data analyses were completed and final reports were <br />prepared for the SEA-AR research and demonstration activities for the <br />irrigation improvement program in the Well ton-Mohawk. All field work has <br />been terminated. The final report on the pressurized irrigation project <br />conducted by the University of Arizona was completed 1n December 1979 and <br />the completion report on the emitter-clogging project conducted by the <br />U.S. Water Conservation Laboratory was submitted in October 1979. Data <br />analyses on the citrus and alfalfa research projects conducted by the <br />U.S. Salinity Laboratory have been completed and the final report in <br />being prepared. Several technical papers from each of these projects are <br />being prepared. <br />