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f\:) Crops groom in this area are not affected by sal in i ty due to CJ.j the higher qual ity ....ater.. Vegetables, corn and other salt CO sensitive crops are grown in the area ....ith little yield W reducti on from water qual i ty prob lems. In contrast, irrigation do....nstream along the Arkansas River is limited to less salt'sensitive and generally lower income crops such as alfalfa, sorghum and wheat. Crop yields are reduced by the poor qua Ii ty ..ater. Water qua Ii ty 15 a 150 a prob I em for. domestic, municipal, industrial, recreational and fishery usew The t..o basic processes ..hich are responsible for high salinity levels are salt pickup and salt concentration. They occur both naturally a'nd as a result of act,.on by man. Man caused salt pickup occurs from irrigation of crops and lawns, municipal use and other activities that encourage seepage and deep percolation. Salt concentration occurs when ....ater IS consumed by either evaporation or lost by transpiration though plants ..ith the salts left behind ....ith the remaining ~ater. Erosion on the irrigated land is also a problem in this area. The sediment carries salts, 'ferti I izers, pesticides, insecticides and other chemicals and deposits them into the Arkansas River. ,his project area with its significant vegetab I e crop ac reage use substant i a I amounts of fert i Ii zer and chemicals. Nitrate levels have increased sharply in the last 20 years in the Arkansas River, but remain belo.. the maximum allo....able for public drinking water supplies. It does ho..ever indicate that the fa~mers are not making the most efficient use of their fertilizers and attention to this problem is needed. The problems ~ith oper~tio~ and maintenance of the irrigation iystems are also increased due to the sediment and eros ion. Furrow i rr i gat i on i 5 used on most row crops. Corrugation usage predominates on the fields gro....ing alfalfa. Lo.... irrigation efficiencies and less than adequate ....atei avai lable compounds the problems of the area. The ongoing USDA programs are the only effort presently being used for ....ater quality improvement in this area. The Lower Arkansas Ri ver Bas i n Water Qual i ty Study is underway to better quantify water quality problems and needs in the bas in. The I ack of Best Management Pract ices (BMP' s) be i ng app lied in the area permits the over and under irrigation, deep percolation, and erosion to occur. This causes the salt, nutri ent, sediment, and pest; c i de bu i I dup in the Arkansas River and in downstream irrigation canals. Sediment build up is also occur-ring in the John Martin Reservoir just downstream fr-om the project area. This reservoir, located 8