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<br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />w <br />>- <br />o <br />~J <br /> <br />Irrigated agriculture on 205,000 acres in the Uintah Basin contributes 240,000 <br />lons of salt to the Colorado River annually. About three-fourths of this <br />amount (177,200 tons) is from onfarm return flo.... and one-fourth is from canal <br />and lateral seepage losses. Other sources contribute another 270,000 tons for <br />a total of 510,000 tons of salt annually from the Uintah Basin. Improved <br />management of irrigation ~aler, water measuring devices, improved anfacm convey- <br />ance systems, improvements or changes in method of application, land leveling, <br />~aler conlrol structures, and pumping pldnts reduce the salt load to the Green <br />River by 76,600 tons annually in the reconunended alternative, ",,"'ater management <br />and land treatment measures ~ill also improve crop yields and make better Use <br />of irrigation water supplies. The net increase in river flo~ ~ill be 20,200 <br />acre-feet ~nnually. Implementation of these measures will reduce salinity <br />concentrations at Imperial Dam by 10.3 milligrams per liter. <br /> <br />II SU~~;RY - UISTAH BASIS USIr <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />There are no expected changes in the amount of private irrigated cropland and <br />pastureland which are the principle land uses in the area. However, there <br />will be changes in the wildlife uses of these areas. Changes in air quality <br />will be minor and temporary. There will be 1,870 acres (1 percent) of upland <br />wildlife habitat with an acre value of 630 acres disturbed during installation; <br />6,635 acres of riparian habitat with an acre value of 3,850 acres converted to <br />upland habitat; 905 acres of wetland habitat with an acre value of 550 acres <br />converted to upland habitat; 6,855 acres of greasewood and salt cedar with an <br />acre value of 1,510 acres converted to upland habitat; and 5,465 acres of <br />~rass-sedge habitat with an acre value of 1,750 acres converted to upland <br />habitat. Historical and archeological resources will be assessed on a measure <br />by measure basis so that none will he disturbed. Sprinkler irrigation systems <br />on 79,400 acres ....ill he highly visible during operation. Irrigation pipelinl's <br />""111 replace 1,540 Illiles of oofarm earthen ditches. There is an ongoing ...'ater <br />quality monitoring program in progress and wildlife mitigation features are <br />being incorporated into long term agreements t.'ith individual f<trmers dnd ranchers. <br /> <br />Th~ viable alternatives considered are: (a) future conditions without acceler- <br />ated action: (b) farmer identIfied IrrigatIon improvements: (c) maximum potential <br />irrigation improvements; (d) land retirement from irrigation; and (e) a level <br />of irrigation improvements that 15 a combination of portions of a, b, and c, <br /> <br />The onfarro conservation measures to be installed are compatible with and comple- <br />mentary to tbe irrigation system Improvements being installed in the Public <br />Lat.' 566, Martin Lateral ~atershed. They are also compatible to other land <br />treatment watersheds being planned under P.L. 566. <br /> <br />11-1 <br />