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NEWSLETTER GRAND VALLEY UNIT. STAGE TWO. CRBSCP SEPTEMBER 1983 PLAN SELECTED FOR STAGE TWO OF THE GRAND VALLEY UNIT Construction costs for developing Stage Two are estimated at $140,710,000 based on January 1983 prices. Implementation of the plan would reduce salt loading co the Colorado River by about 139.700 tons and would result in an accompanying decrease in s31inity at Imperial Dam of about 14.1 mg/L. On the basis of technical and economic consid- erations and recommendations of the Grand Valley Salinity Coordinating Committee, the water users, and others. a preferred plan has been selected for the remainder of the Grand Valley Unit. The Stage Two plan of develop- ment provides for concrete lining all the unlined laterals in the Stage Two area.!..! and three reaches of the Government Highline Canal. The west end portion of the Government Highline Canal (downstream of the Stage One area) and all the lateral systems would be constructed first. A decision about lining the two remaining reaches of the Government Highline Canal--the middle and the east--would be deferred until deemed necessary to meet salinity program goals. Development is scheduled over a I)-year period with construction beginning in 1986 with the lining of the west end Government Highline lateralsJ the Independent Ranchmen's laterals, and the west end of the Government Highline Canal. The remainder of the laterals would follow; however, concrete lining of the two remaining Government Highline Canal reaches-- the middle and the east--would be deferred, as previously mentioned. STAGE TWO PRECONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES Approximately 700 laterals would be lined for a total length of about 500 miles. Lateral lining would generally follow existing aline- ment and grade. Canal improvement would consist of concrete lining approximately 40 miles of the 47-mile section of the Government Highline Canal from Palisade to the canal's terminus 6 miles northwest of Mack. (The additional 7 miles is the canal segment lined under Stage One.) Approximately 75 percent of the laterals in the valley are privately owned and operated, and few incorporated lateral entities exist which could constitute legal contracting bodies. Prior to initiation of construction, contracts between the United States and each independent lateral entity would be necessary to obtain permission for lateral construction on private land and to establish the ground- work for operation and maintenance agreements. Reclamation. the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), and the Colorado Cooperative Extension Service entered into a Memorandum of Under- standing in May 1982 which launched efforts to formally organize lateral owners into legal contracting bodies. Proposed wildlife measures are under consider- ation by Congress. These measures consist of the acquisition and development of land to offset wildlife losses expected to occur as a result of canal and lateral improvement and development of a wildlife watering pond. Design data collection is ongoing in the area of the west end Government Highline Canal and its laterals and the Independent Ranchmen's laterals. Activities include an inventorying of the existing system. surveying, making lands and rights-af-way determinations, !I The Redlands area and the Orchard Mesa Power Canal laterals are not included in Stage Two.