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..... t.l.:> -.J -.J Information and education activities included field days at the Southwestern Colorado Research and Extension Service and tours of the project area. Booths were set up at the Four Corners Agricultural Exposition and the Montezuma County Fair, and a series of irrigation water management workshops were held in the area as well. Irrigation water management for sprinkler systems is being enhanced through use of (1) crop water-use reports from an automatic weather station, (2) information from sprinkler-can tests, and (3) portable flowlpressure meters and automatic shut-off valves. Glenwood-Dotsero Springs Unit, Colorado This unit is located along the Colorado River in Eagle, Garfield, and Mesa Counties in west-central Colorado. The unit constitutes the second largest point source of salinity to the Colorado River. About half the salt comes from 20 surface saline springs; the remainder enters as seeps and underwater springs within the river channel. Reclamation As an alternative to federally developed projects in the Glenwood Springs area, Reclamation entered into a cooperative agreement in 1989 to investigate and possibly participate with a private cogeneration developer. The facility would collect and remove up to 73,000 tons of salt per year from the surface springs that contribute approximately 174,000 tons of salt annually to the Colorado River. The developer would use waste powerplant steam for desalination. The brine, once collected, would be concentrated by flash evaporators into salt blocks, and the evaporated water would be condensed and either sold or returned to the river. The developers are investigating alternative sites outside the city limits of Glenwood Springs. Grand Valley Unit, Colorado The Grand Valley Unit is located in west-central Colorado along the reach ofthe Colorado River 12 near Grand Junction. The purpose of the unit is to remove the estimated 316,300 tons ofsalt added to the Colorado River annually as a result of conveyance system seepage and deep percolation from irrigated farmland. Reclamation Reclamation is improving the conveyance systems as a cost-effective method of reducing off-farm seepage and salt loading. Work is progressing in two stages, with Stage One work essentially complete. Stage Two work provides for installing pipe laterals in the private and Federal systems within the Stage Two area and lining portions of the Government Highline Canal. Reclamation has developed a lining plan that minimizes the need for right-of-way acquisitions without significantly increasing project costs. Construction on the Price and Stubb Ditches (part of Stage Two work) began in fiscal year 1991; construction will take approximately 3 years to complete. Plans are also underway to continue with USDA a successful surge irrigation research and demonstration program. The purpose of the program is to determine the effectiveness of surge irrigation as an alternative method of irrigation for controlling salinity. USDA USDA is helping farmers make onfarm improvements to reduce salt loading from farm operations, At the end of fiscal year 1991, 205 salinity control contracts had been signed. Participants are applying salinity control and wildlife habitat replacement practices. To date, 387 miles of underground pipelines, gated pipe, and concrete-lined ditches have been installed and 4,200 acres ofland have been leveled. Drip and surge irrigation systems and other practices have been installed as well. Salt loading has been reduced by 50,200 tons per year. This was the second year for implementation of the Grand Valley surge irrigation research and demonstration project. Under this Reclamation-funded project, farmers, with assistance from the Cooperative Extension and SCS, installed 77 surge irrigation systems. The new systems are being evaluated to determine