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, ,~ -', J 000288 Based on 1999 crop prices, loss of revenue from croos in this small studv area would be over $2.000.000 due to salinity and additional losses are likely occuring due to waterlogging. And, this loss doesn't reflect the loss pfthe ability to grow higher income crops that are less salt tolerant, such as peppers, onions and the famous Rocky Ford cantaloupe. Pre1iminary modeling results by Dr. Gates and Dr. John Labadie, working with Dr. Luis Garcia, show that a full-scale, area-wide approach is needed to reduce the problem of waterlogging and salinization. Increased irrigation efficiency, use of wells as vertical drains, canal lining to reduce seepage, horizontal subsurface drainage and lowering of the water level in the river are all needed to help sustain the productivity of the land, enhance the quality of the river, and prevent the "killing" of agriculture in the Arkansas River Valley by waterlogging and salinization. Drought inthelast two years, 2000 aIld 2001"has caused the saline water table to drop, from an average of7.0 feet.belowthe surface in 1999 to 9.3 feet below the surface in 2001. In periods of abundant water supplies, irrigators tend to over-irrigate and this has allowed concentrated salt deposits in the soil to be carried down to the water table. Then, because of these shallow water tables, salts in the ground water move upward by capillary action to the root zone and, inmany cases, to the soil surface. A drought may lower the saline high water table temporarily, but subsequent wet years will raise the water table again and remobilise the salts, unless improved management practices are adopted. Beginning this summer, a similar study is to be initiated downstream in the Valley area between Lamar and Holly.