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<br />Reducing the amount of waterflow through the underground aquifer <br />will reduce the total dissolved solids (TDS) to the Big Sandy River by <br />52,900 tons/year. This translates to a reduced TDS of 26.67 mg/L in the <br />Green River at Green River, Wyoming, and 5.49 mg/L in the Colorado River <br />at Imperial Dam, California. The 26.67 mg/L reduction in the Green <br />River and 5.49 mg/L in the Colorado constitutes the downstream salinity <br />reduction benefits as a result of implementing the 15,700-acre Big Sandy <br />Salinity project. <br /> <br />On-farm benefits will result from increased hay production of two <br />(2) tons per acre per year. This value is based on actual interviews <br />with landowners who have low pressure sprinkler systems in the project <br />area. <br /> <br />Installation of planned measures will reduce average annual salinity <br />damage to the Lower Colorado River Basin by $3,184,200 and $464,600 on <br />the Green River in Wyoming. The benefits for the Lower Colorado River <br />Basin were based on the 1985 value of $580,000 per year per mg/L of <br />salinity reduction at Imperial Dam, California. The $580,000 per mg/L <br />was derived from damage estimates and control program impacts prepared <br />by a consortium of Water Resources Centers in Arizona, California, <br />Colorado, and Utah. The benefits for the Green River were based on <br />interview data with the Jim Bridger Power Plant, Trona Plants near Green <br />River, and the towns of Green River and Rock Springs. Reduced water <br />treatment costs to these industries and towns will be $17,421 (1985 <br />value) per mg/L of salinity reduction of the waters in the Green River <br />in Wyoming. <br /> <br />Installation of planned measures will increase the average annual <br />agricultural net benefits from $159 per acre to $243 per acre. The $84 <br />per acre net benefit increase will result in an estimated $1,318,800 <br />annually to the landowners of the 15,700-acre salinity project area. <br />See Table 3 for the average annual cost-benefit analysis. <br /> <br />The project will be installed over a 9-year period. Technical <br />assistance will begin 1 year prior to installation of project measures <br />and continue for 3 years after the planned measures have been installed. <br />Technical assistance is scheduled in this manner to assure adequate <br />conservation planning is begun a year in advance of the first <br />construction activity. <br /> <br />Technical assistance for conservation planning, implementation of <br />planned practices, assistance to realize irrigation water management <br />objectives, and installation of wildlife practices will be provided by <br />the SCS. It is anticipated that a project team will consist of soil <br />conservationists, irrigation water management specialists, engineers, <br />biologist, civil engineering technicians, and soil conservation <br />technicians. Staffing of the team will range from one to seven <br />positions during the implementation period. Team makeup will also vary <br />during the implementation period with greater need for planning <br />assistance during the first years going to greater need for engineering <br />assistance later in implementation period. Appropriate disciplines will <br />be involved in the team prior to field planning. Table 4 provides a <br />summary of the selected plan for 15,700 acres. <br /> <br />14 <br /> <br />~, '1 6' <br />i..l , -:i <br />'-' ....,. \ '_1 <br />