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<br /> <br />This aquifer is recharged by deep percolation losses from irrigation and <br />canal and lateral seepage. In some places the aquifer is under artesian <br />pressure. Salinity of the water in the aquifer varies from 5,000 to <br />36,000 parts per mill ion of total dissolved salts. Salinity concen- <br />trations normally increase with depth. <br /> <br />Topography in the irrigated area is gently sloping to rol ling. The <br />major overall slope is to the river. Most of the irrigated lands are <br />in the 0 to 2 percent and 2 to 5 percent slope groups. Some breaks and <br />hummocky soils are also irrigated. <br /> <br />The upland watershed or diffuse salt sour~e area is the drainage above <br />the Grand Valley irrigated area. The study area encompasses 839,000 <br />acres. Annual precipitation varies from about 8 inches in the lower <br />valley to 20 inches on a small portIon in the northwest corner of the <br />basin. <br /> <br />Grand Junction, the largest city in Colorado west of the Continental <br />Divide, is located in the valley. The mean annual temperature at Grand <br />Junction is 520F. and ranges from a July mean of l80F. to a January mean <br />of 260F. Annual precIpitation averages only 8.29 inches and is rather <br />uniformly distributed throughout the year. The elevation at Grand <br />Junction is around 4,850 feet above sea level. The average growing <br />season is 190 days. <br /> <br />Four irrigation entities divert water from the Colorado River for use <br />in the valley. These include the Grand Valley Water Users Association <br />(8ureau of Reclamation Project), Grand Valley Irrigation Company, <br />Palisade Irrigation District, and Mesa County Irrigation District. A <br />fifth irrigation company, the Redlands Power and Water Company, diverts <br />water from the Gunnison River. A number of other small companies have <br />carriage agreements with the major canal companies for delivery of <br />water. <br /> <br /> <br />-. <br /> <br />.- <br />_~,. ..?M _ <br />--"""-~.. '- "... <br />-. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />,.- <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />~.. <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />~ ---t:..1 <br /> <br />~. <br /> <br />. ..... <br />.......s-i" . <br />...-",---... <br />.~ <br /> <br />'. <br /> <br />---.-.. -.. <br /> <br />lined ditches and siphon tubes are popular <br />irrigation improvements in the Grand Valley. <br /> <br />1675 <br /> <br />11 <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />-- <br /> <br />- <br />