WSP06713

• File Number: 8273.800.10
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control - Federal Agencies - Joint Reports
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 1/1/1994
• Title: 1993 Joint Evaluation of Salinity Control Programs in the Colorado River Basin
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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of this practice is an additional incentive for
farmers to install surge systems. A minimum
tillage field demonstration was conducted on
irrigated cropland to evaluate the effects on
water quality, crop productivity, and farm
economics. Monitored parameters included:
water use, infiltration, deep percolation, surface
runoff, and runoff water quality. The popular
and informative monthly newsletter, The
Waterline, continues to be published.

BLM

Efforts are underway to complete similar work
already undertaken at Indian Wash drainage
for those drainages west to the Utah State line.
Objectives include improving grazing
management practices, increasing vegetative
cover, decreasing soil losses, and installing
structures where needed to control flows and
stop soil erosion.

Las Vegas Wash Unit, Nevada

Las Vegas Wash is a natural drainage channel
that provides the only surface water outlet for
the 2,000-square-mile Las Vegas Valley. A
drainage area of 1,586 square miles directly
contributes to the wash, which conveys storm
runoff and wastewater to Las Vegas Bay, an arm
of Lake Mead.

Reclamation

Reclamation continued quarterly monitoring of
salinity at 15 sites in the Las Vegas Wash in
1993. Rapidly expanding population in the
Las Vegas Valley appears to be a major
contributor to increasing salt loads in the
Las Vegas Wash. Annual documentation of
results of the data collection effort are provided
to the Forum. Completed portions of the unit
prevent 3,800 tons of salt per year from reaching
the Colorado River.

Lower Gunnison Basin Unit,
Colorado

The Lower Gunnison Basin Unit is located in
west-central Colorado in Delta and Montrose

Counties. The objective of the unit is to reduce
salt loading by 414,500 tons per year in the
Uncompahgre, Gunnison, and Colorado Rivers.

Reclamation

Winter water replacement system is about
80 percent complete with $14 million having
been spent through fiscal year 1993. A total of
120 miles out of 140 miles of pipe have been laid
through 1993. Only 20 miles remain to be
installed in 1994. About $4 million of work
remains to complete the winter water system.
Most of the remaining work is being done by the
Chipeta Water Company. They should be done
by September 1994.

USDA

This is the largest of the USDA salinity control
units in terms of total irrigated acres and the
salt reduction goal. Implementation was
initiated in 1988. During 1993, 77 new contracts
were approved, for a total of 226 contracts.
There are 411 applications pending approval.

The application of salinity reduction and wildlife
habitat practice8 is rapidly increasing now that
implementation is underway in all of the Lower
Gunnison Basin Unit. The major salinity
reduction practices being applied are
underground pipelines, gated pipe, surge valves,
ditch lining, land leveling, and irrigation water
control structures to improve surface irrigation
systems. Other practices include drip and
microjet irrigation systems and some sprinkler
systems.

This was the second year for the
USDA/Reclamation surge irrigation
demonstration project, with 80 farmers
participating. Two special newspaper editions
on the salinity control program were published,
and 18 organizations and agencies cooperated to
hold a I-day "Water Festival" for 4th and
5th grade students in each county. Over
800 students attended this event, which will be
held annually. Booths with information on the
Salinity Program were set up at the county fair,
and various field daY8 and tours were held. On
one of the field days, congre8sional represent-
ation from both the House and Senate were

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