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<br />w <br />w <br />00 <br />...,. <br /> <br />Planning for Stage Two of the Grand Valley Unit is underway. A precon~ <br />struction report and draft environmental statement will be available in <br />early 1985, allowing for a decision on construction start on Stage Two in <br />May 1986. <br /> <br />The USDA received appropriations of $1.7. $1.8, and $1.7 million, respec- <br />tively, in 1979, 1980, and 1981 to initiate construction of onfarm improve- <br />ments for reducing salinity. The SCS onfarm improvement program is <br />underway and is an expansion and acceleration of an ongoing SCS program <br />in the valley for providing cost-sharing and technical assistance and <br />planning service for farmers to improve irrigation facilities and manage- <br />ment pr act ices. <br /> <br />Crystal Geyser Unit, Utah <br /> <br />Crystal Geyser, a privately owned, abandoned oil test well 3.5 miles <br />south of Green River, Utah, contributes about 3,000 tons of salt annually <br />to the Colorado River system. <br /> <br />Construction has been delayed indefinitely because of the high construction <br />costs and poor cost-effectiveness for the small amount (0.3 mg/L) of <br />salinity reduction. <br /> <br />Las Vegas Wash Unit, Nevada <br /> <br />Las Vegas Wash is a natural channel which drains the entire Las Vegas <br />Valley watershed area and discharges into Las Vegas Bay, an arm of Lake <br />Mead. Studies evaluating salt contributed by the wash are concerned mainly <br />with the ll-mile reach upstream from Las Vegas Bay. The average discharge <br />carries approximately 196,000 tons of dissolved solids annually. <br /> <br />Construction began in 1977 but was delayed to allow time to reevaluate the <br />changing ground-water conditions in the lower Las Vegas Valley. Data <br />collection and analysis have been SUfficiently completed to indicate <br />possible cost-effective plans, but the formulation of such plans is <br />contingent upon the wastewater management practices of valley water users. <br />A reevaluation of the original evaporation pond/desalting plan has resulted <br />in consideration of new concepts for salinity control. <br /> <br />One alternative being considered is a bypass channel to convey low salinity <br />industrial cooling water past an area of highly saline soil, preventing <br />ground-water infiltration and salt pickup. Continued close coordination <br />with local interests will be necessary to gain a salinity control, waste- <br />water, and wetlands park and recreation land use consensus. Bypass systems <br />in the wash have a potential salt loading reduction of 71,000 tons per <br />year. <br /> <br />Colorado River Indian Reservation Unit, Arizona <br /> <br />The Colorado River Indian Reservation has a total of 268,850 acres in the <br />lower Colorado River Basin below Parker Dam in Arizona and California. The <br />U.S. Supreme Court allocated water to irrigate 107,588 acres of this land, <br /> <br />xv <br />