WSP04095

• File Number: 8270.100
• Description: Colorado River Basin Water Quality/Salinity -- Misc Water Quality
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 1/1/1987
• Author: USDOI
• Title: Quality of Water - Colorado River Basin - Progress Report No. 13 - January 1987
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

The Stage Two area involves, for the most part, the remainder of
Grand Valley. Stage Two investigations, which began in November 1981,
included a reevaluation of various alternatives. In addition to lining with
~. various types of material, measures studied included installing barriers,
00 consolidating conveyance systems, and industrial use of saline water.
<=>
~ In May 1983, the recommended plan was selected for Stage Two. The
plan provides for replacing existing open earth laterals with buried pipe and
membrane lining three reaches of the Government Highline Canal. Construction
of the west end of the canal is scheduled to begin in the fall of 1986 and
construction of the west end portion of the Government Highline Canal laterals
is scheduled to begin in fiscal year 1988. The remaining lateral systems will
be improved approximately in order of cost effectiveness, with construction
concluding about the year 2005. The supplement to the definite plan report
and the final environmental impact statement were filed with the Environmental
Protection Agency May 23, 1986.

USDA's on-farm and off-farm lateral improvements in Stage One
and Stage Two Grand Valley have been accomplished primarily through the annual
practice cost-share provision of the ASCS's ACP program. On-farm pipeline and
ditch lining installed during calendar year 1985 was 135,944 feet and
18,148 feet, respectively. Total on-farm pipeline and ditch lining
accomplishments thus far are approximately 141 miles of pipeline and 41 miles
of ditch lining. Combined, these accomplishments represent about 27 percent
of the total Grand Valley project goal.

USDA's off-farm lateral improvements for calendar year 1985
consisted of 18,717 feet of pipeline improvements and 2,956 feet of ditch
lining. CUmulative off-farm lateral accomplishments for the project are 37.1
miles of pipeline and 11.4 miles of ditch lining, representing 25.5 percent of
USDA's overall project goals.

USDA's on-farm seepage or deep percolation reductions from all
treatments to date are estimated to be 4,159 acre-feet per year for an average
salt load reduction of 20,675 tons per year. Off-farm lateral seepage
reductions from all treatments to date are 2,281 acre-feet per year for 11,470
tons of salt load reductions per year. Total seepage/deep percolation
reductions are 6,439 acre-feet through calendar year 1985 for a 32,145 tons
per year salt load reduction from USDA activities in both Stage One and Stage
Two.

7. La verkin Springs Unit (Reclamation)

During the past 20 years, the La Verkin Springs Project has been
studied extensively with several reports being produced. In 1981 a concluding
report was prepared. The concluding report stated the project had no
cost-effective alternative.

Simultaneously with the development and submittal of the concluding
report, the Washington County Water Conservancy District and the State of Utah
were being approached with a proposal from a private consultant that indicated
total evaporation with clay-lined ponds may make the La Verkin Springs project
cost effective. Based on this information from the private consultant, the
project was reinitiated in 1983.

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