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<br />systems were installed to irrigate 1,840 acres, land <br />leveling was completed on 201 acres, and 55 miles of <br />permanent and gated pipelines were installed. Irrigation <br />water management was obtained on 5,972 acres providing for <br />~ an average annual reduction in deep percolation of 1,744 <br />~ acre-feet. These accomplishments will provide an average <br />(0 annual salt load reduction to the Colorado River of 3,500 <br />1'':1 tons. . <br />For the period 1980 to 1986, a total of $11,249,021 <br />was obligated for 424 LTA's and 264 individual practices <br />which included installation of 330 miles of pipelines, land <br />leveling on 1,107 acres, installation of sprinkler systems <br />on approximately 7,500 acres, and irrigation water <br />management on 29,265 acres. Almost 21,000 acre-feet of <br />deep percolation have been eliminated as a result of these <br />accomplishments reducing the salt load contribution by <br />2"2,700 t,onsannua lly. Approximately 18 percent of the <br />project funds, have been obligated, achieving 23 percent of <br />th~'projecte~ salt l~ad reduction. <br />Units Ready for Implementation <br />Lo~er Gunnison Basin (Reclamation and USDA). The <br />LO'.er Gunnison Basin Unit, in the Uncompahgre Vaile~' in <br />west,:'central Colorado, is principall~, agricultural, and <br />agribusiness is of primary importance to the local <br />economy. An estimated 360,000 tons of salt are picked up <br />in the study area annually and conveyed to the Uncompahgre, <br />Gunnison, and finally~ the Colorado,River. The salt pickup <br />is a resul t of deep percolati on of applied i rrigat ion water <br />and conveyan~e system seepage as water passes through the <br />weathered and fractured shale of the Mancos Formation on <br />its way to drains and the Uncompahgre River. <br />The recommended plan consists of eliminating winter <br />water flows in the irrigation system by replacement through <br />the dom~stic water delivery system, lining five separate ' <br />Uncompahgre Project canal and lateral systems east of th~ <br />Uncompahgre River, and implementation of the USDA onfarm <br />program. <br />The winter water replacemenk program would eliminate <br />seepage from canals and laterals during the winter months <br />and allow more efficient livestock watering. Th~ program <br />could reduce annual salt loading by about 80,000 tons. <br />Advance planning on the winter water replacement is <br />eX'pected to be completed in 1987. The advance planning on <br />the canal and lateral lining will be delayed until after <br />more cost-effective measures' have been implemented. <br />The USDA onfarm report outlines an implementation <br />plan, consisting of the full spectrum of onfarm salinity <br />control measures that is compatible with the Reclamation <br />plan. Cost-effective areas in th;e Lower Gunnison Basin <br />have been identified for high priority implementation. <br />In the Lower Gunnison Basin, North Fork area (USBRI, <br />the primary causes of the salt loading appear to be related <br />to irrigation delivery system seepage and applied <br />irrigation water percolating thrdugh the saline soils. A <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />-34- <br /> <br />- <br />