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<br />.--4 <br /> <br />" <br />. - <br /> <br />A great deal of irrigation reorganization has been done since 1943, <br />but the job is only partially complete. The Salinity Control Act provides <br />for on-farm improvements related to irrigation systems, and we wish to <br />assist in any way we can to accelerate this type of work.. A physical system <br />that operators can use to apply and distribute water is the key to a <br />successful water management program. <br /> <br />,.0 <br />'rl <br /> <br />,..~~~\ <br /> <br />Here in the Grand Valley there are an estimated 2,000 operating units <br />and the acreage of each unit varies greatly. Smaller units generally occupy <br />the Clifton, Palisade, Orchard Mesa, and Redlands area. <br /> <br />There are many different soil mapping units as indicated by the Grand <br />Junction Area Soil Survey, which considers all the land in the valley served <br />by an irrigation system. <br /> <br />An interesting item is that we have this large number of people, <br />each managing his or her own water. With this large number of managers <br />and our hodgepodge of soils, it's easy to understand the different ideas <br />and practices of irrigation water management we find in the valley. <br /> <br />This reinforces the idea that one of the most pressing needs in the <br />Grand Valley is better control and management of irrigation water. Open <br />ditches need to be lined, underground pipelines installed where applicable, <br />and irrigation structures installed to control and measure water. <br /> <br />This, along with land leveling and land smoothing, will make it <br />possible to work for a higher degree of water management. Better crop <br />production and a minimum loss of soil and water can be realized as a result <br />of these conservation measures. <br /> <br />The first step toward a well organized approach to the on-farm job <br />that lies ahead is an inventory of all farms to evaluate the present <br />irrigation system being used, and the management and cultural practices <br />carried out by each operator. From this information it will be possible <br />to determine the amount of work needed to update present irrigation systems. <br /> <br />Many of you have already been interviewed by our field men and have <br />taken the time to provide information that is needed for this inventory. <br /> <br />We are in a position to provide assistance to the Bureau of Reclamation <br />in this Salinity Program and are asking for your continued support and <br />cooperation in getting this job done. The On-Farm Inventory that is being <br />carried out by our. technicians will provide the best pict~re we have ever <br />had of the Conservation needs of the valley. A sample of the inventory <br />sheet is attached to this statement and I invite your review of this sheet. <br /> <br />When the inventory is completed, all data will be evaluated and a report <br />written summarizing our best estimate of need improvements. <br /> <br />Most farm irrigation systems in the Grand Valley can, in some way, be <br />improved to make irrigation easier and to improve management of irrigation <br />water. Many farmers have already been involved in progr~ns of improvement <br />through the Mesa Soil Conservation District. The fruits of their efforts <br />can easily be recognized when one compares the past with the present. <br />