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<br />t-;I <br />t.\":! <br />~ <br />~.~ <br /> <br />EXECUTIVE SUMMARY <br /> <br />The Lower Arkansas River in Colorado is the most sal ine <br />stream of its size in the United States. The average <br />sa Ii n!ty 1 eve I 5 i nc rease from 300 ppm Tota I D i 550.1 ved So lids <br /><TDS) near Pueb I 0 to over 4,000 ppm TDS near the state I; ne. <br />Water containing more than 2,000 ppm TDS has often been <br />assumed to be unsuitable for irrigation, but such waters <br />have been used in the Arkansas Valley for man'l 'Iears. High <br />sediment loads are also found In this reach of the river. <br /> <br />Colorado's Nonpoint Assessment Report identified the <br />Arkansas River as being impacted by sal inity and sediment <br />po I I utants. These po II utants a...e be i ng contr i buted by <br />agricultural practices in the basin. <br /> <br />Patterson Ho II ow located in Pueb I 0 and Otero Count i es, <br />Colorado, consists of 89,850 acres. Of this area, 59,700 <br />acres are irrigated. Water is supplied by five private <br />canal systems. There are 505 operating units in the area. <br />Census data indicates approximately 50 percent of the <br />operators are I imited resou~ce farmers. <br /> <br />Crops consists of corn, alfalfa, vegetables, <br />sorghums, and d...y beans. The vegetables are <br />melons, onions, tomatoes, and ~atermelons. <br /> <br />small grai ns, <br />prima...i Iy <br /> <br />The I ack of Best Management Prac t ices <BMP' s) be i ng app lied <br />in the area permits the over and under irrigation, deep <br />percolation, and erosion to occu.... This causes the salt, <br />nut...ient, sediment, and pesticide buildup in the Arkansas <br />River and in downstream irrigation canals. <br /> <br />Objectives of the project are to improve the Arkansas River <br />water quality by reducing the amount of salts reaching the <br />river in return flows and improve the irrigation water <br />management being practiced In the a...ea. Improved ir...igation <br />water management wi I I control the amount of deep pe...colation <br />and runoff f...om the irrigated cropland. Reducing the amount <br />of water moving through the soi I profi Ie wi II minimize the <br />pickup and transportation of salts, nutrients, and <br />pesticides. When completed, app...oximately 60,000 tons/year <br />of salt wil I be prevented from ...eaching the Arkansas River <br />by the project. <br /> <br />To do this, new conse...vation plans wi I I be developed on <br />approximately 45,000 acres. I......igation water conservation <br />p...actices costing ove... $3,000,000 wi II be installed. <br />Information meetings and field day demonstrations wi I I be <br />used to inform the pub Ii c about the need fo... improved <br />irrigation water management and the benefits which wil be <br />...eceived. <br /> <br />1 <br />