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<br />MAY 1982 <br /> <br />Implementation Priorities - Water quality data shows variability in the <br />magnitude of salt load pickup throughout the valley. The variability <br />suggests priority rankings such that treatment will start in those areas <br />where the greatest salt load reduction can be achieved first before moving <br />on to the lessor salt yielding areas. Analysis of present salt loading <br />suggests the following priorities for implementation. <br /> <br />Priority <br />1 <br /> <br />2 <br /> <br />Area <br />Irrigated land in the Mud Creek and Navajo Wash <br />drainage areas. <br />Irrigated land in the McElmo Creek drainage east of <br />the bridge at Highway 666. <br />Irrigated land in the Hartman Draw, Crow Creek, <br />and Alkalai Creek drainage. <br /> <br />3 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Increased TechnicaL Assistance - Present assistance available to the <br />Soil Conservation District includes one district conservationist, and four <br />technicians. Additional expertise in planning, engineering, construction <br />and biology will be needed. Current personnel ceilings must be increased if <br />additional expertise is to be made available for the Salinity Control <br />Program without eliminating or severely reducing the limited level of <br />technical assistance elsewhere. The estimated additional cost for <br />technical assistance annually to serve the accelerated salinity control <br />program is given in Table VI-2. <br /> <br />Conserva tion Planning - Conservation planning will be based on managing <br />complete resource systems, which when implemented results in the application <br />of needed conservation practices on the land meeting the land treatment <br />needs and objectives of the landuser. Soil, water, and related plant and <br />animal resources must be considered in the planning process to guide <br />deliberate actions that will result in conservation treatment, decisions, <br />and actions. This continuing process includes inventory, assessment, <br />evaluation of alternatives, decisions, implementation by landusers, and <br />followup assistance to insure continued application of management practices <br />and maintenance of applied practices. <br /> <br />.' <br /> <br />Conservation planning will be done on an area wide basis to evaluate effects <br />of both onfarm improved irrigation water management and off-farm delivery <br />system improvements. <br /> <br />Impacts on salinity, downstream water quality, wildlife and wetland habitat, <br />archeological, cultural and historic resources, prime and improtant <br />farmlands, and erosion and sediment reduction will be evaluated in the <br />planning process. <br /> <br />The irrigation water management plan is part of the continuing planning <br />process and development of the conservation plsn. Consideration needs to be <br />given for possible changes in the conservation cropping system that may <br />result from better water management. Changes in cropping system may include <br />greater diversity of crops than were previously grown due to increased <br />duration of use, amount of available water, and length of season that water <br />is available. Improved crop production and residues provide opportunity for <br />higher levels of managment and economic returns to the landuser. <br /> <br />VII-5 <br /> <br />'Os<O <br />(\\:;\ <br />..J <br />