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<br />3.5" ,rriga'ions1 <br /> <br />Field copacityJ <br />1__ <br /> <br /> <br />.... <br />--J <br />lV <br />:.:J <br /> <br />6 <br /> <br />5 <br /> <br />AVAILABLE <br />SOIL <br />WATER <br /> <br />( inches) <br /> <br />3 <br /> <br />2 <br /> <br />o <br /> <br />Wiltin~ Point <br /> <br />Light Frequent lnigations <br />Beneficial? <br /> <br />Can lIghllrequem Irngatlons minimize salt <br />return to the nve(l Recent evaluations of <br />automated Irngatlon systems In Colorado <br />and Idaho shO.... 1M: larmers whO have <br />automated systems Irngate more frequently <br />Wlll1less water per Irr,gal.on The general <br />resulls are Illustrated in the figure Soil water <br />contents generally do not reach the extreme <br />lows and highs unOt'r the more trE.'(luer11 <br />Imgatlon as compared 10 common <br />SChedules of Irrigation MIssing the e~lreme <br />lOwS ht>lps a"Old wal€'< stress and crop Yield <br />reduction MIssing the el<trem€' nlgns avolOS <br />loss of water by QE'eP percolation. leaching 01 <br />nllrates and reduces l!le relum of salme <br />grQuruJ warer 10 me "..e, <br />Don Craig In lett1a, Idaho, ana RICMro <br />Wileo", In Lorna, ColoradO. w'X) Installed <br />"cablE'OJallOOn type automated SYSlems lasl <br />year ""m the ass,stance 01 the Soli <br />Conservation Service and lhe Snake Al'o'er <br />Conservallon Rese.arch Cef1ter, Agricultural <br />Research Service, were rocently as~ed why <br />they now Irngate more lrE'C;\.Jently With less <br />waler per Imgat~ The<r answ\?"1"S we-re <br />practically identical Because the crops <br /> <br />10 <br /> <br />20 <br /> <br />30 <br /> <br />DAYS <br /> <br />grow better, and wltl1 my automated system <br />II only lakes a few e~tra minutes a wt't'~ to <br />Increase ttle frequency <br />Richard s larm lies over saline Mancos <br />shale on me banks 01 the Colorado Rive< <br />Analyses Of hIS Imgation practice anQ <br />sampling 01 hiS SOli for ...ater content by the <br />Colorado State University SCS and ARS <br />Indicate pmctlCally no d&'>Q percolation <br />under hiS IlelQS during the growing season <br />Further studIes are planned by me ARS <br />and SCS 10 evaluate the COSts and benefits of <br />~ghl frequent Irngatlons and 10 Ot"Vt'lap <br />Imgall()(l systems whiCh .....111 allOw larmers to <br />optimize me utility ollnelr Imgat'on wate' <br />af)(j minimiZe salt loading of our rIIlers <br /> <br />USDA Personnel <br /> <br />M Ear1 Hess, long assocl<iled With USDA s <br />Salinity Control planning eHort In CoIoraClO_ <br />has DeE'h reassigned as Water Management <br />Engineer lor the SCS In CoIoraoo Alt"lOUgh <br />Earl has changed assignments he IS not <br />totally leav,ng the Salinity Cont'Df Program <br />MUCh 01 hIS I\nowleOge and e~perlence will <br />be put to g<xxl use assisting SCS personnel <br />WItr'1 lmpl~llng the onfarm salinity <br />control program <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />,~--- <br /> <br /> L <br /> - <br /> I -- <br />~ 1=.,..... <br /> <br />-.-,' <br />-' <br /> <br />," <br /> <br />---- <br /> <br />\_ e-'---/- <br />---. <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />,- <br /> <br />.~-~ <br /> <br />~-- <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />.. <br />- <br /> <br />. -~-- <br />---. --- <br /> <br />.-.._-- <br />--_.'- <br /> <br />USDA EIS Supplement Available <br /> <br />The USDA rlas Jusl compleled Its Sallhlty <br />Program Final Em:lronmental Impact <br />Stalt..>mt>nt (EIS) for the Lower Gunnison <br />8asm UrlII ColOradO, and Umlah Basin UhIl, <br />Utah ThiS EIS was prE>Pared as a supplement <br />10 tneUSBR-SCS May 19 1977. FlnalEISlo, <br />me Colorado River Water Quality <br />Improvement Prog'am <br />A broad range of structural and <br />nonstructural alternatives were considered <br />for reducmg the salt IOacl from Irrigation TI1€ <br />environmental consequences 01 these <br />alternatrve5 were studied and analyzed The <br />recOl"l1rnendoo plan for each basin cons,SlS <br />ollmprovro managE'f'1ef1t 01 Irngatlon water, <br />watel manag",menl devla'5 ditCh lining <br />ditCh slruClures p'pelines lancllevejlng, and <br />Olner pracllces <br />In the LOWi:'r Gunhlson Basin Unit lor me <br />sel€ctw plan, 3,8C() acres 01 '-""?tlanO woulO <br />tltJ attec~ed and thE' salln,ty concentrallon 01 <br />the Colorado R'lI1"r al Imperial Dam reduced <br />bv :;.: 9 mg 1 The r/;'COmm~l'lCied plan has <br />one of the lowest ratios ot wetland habltat <br />loss Dt!r ,_Cl.-:O tOflS of salt reduction yel tends <br />to mal<lmlze nel Denellts to the larmers anO <br />d~\ nstream users <br />TI"1e recommended pla'1 In the Ulntah <br />Basm Unit COUIO Impact 13.C05 acres 01 <br />wetland wnlje me salinlt)' concentration <br />wOUkl t>!" re.:.lucea by 103 mg L <br />SeleCted plantwlQS jor load ana cQvt'r lor <br />...'Idli'(> fencing toe"CluO€ grazing and Oltler <br />mitIgating feal.m:;s suer: as nesting plat10rms <br />are O;>lng Lncorporalecl Into lOng-term <br />agreements ...Im la~ to ennarlCe looa <br />ana cover for "'IIOI:le In prime a~eas <br />