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FORWORD Public Law 93-320, the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act, and a memorandum of agreement between the U.S: Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) and the Soil Conserva- tion Service (SCS) give the SCS responsibility to study the effects of onfarm 1mprovements and the resulting reduction in salinity of the Colorado River. On May 17, 1977, USBR and the SCS published the Final Environmental Statement for the Colorado River Water Quality Improvement Program. Additional information now available from the SCS environmental evaluation of USDA federally-assisted onfarm improvements (nonproject action) underway, indicates that implementation of various onfarm irrigation water management practices in the Lower Gunnison and Uintah Basin Units, could cause significant adverse local or cumulative impacts on the environment. As a result, the SCS has prepared for the Lower Gunnison Basin and Uintah Basin Units this EIS which supplements the Colorado River Water Quality Improvement Program Final Environmental Statement. Conser- vation measures to accomplish the onfarm improvements are funded through the Agricultural Conservation Program of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conser- vation Service (ASCS). USBR, ASCS, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were cooperating agencies in the development of this document. Several alternatives of onfarm irrigation water management measures and asso- ciated lateral work were considered in order to achieve salt load reduction in the Colorado River while (1) minimizing adverse effects on local fish and wildlife resources, and (2) enhancing the efficiency of irrigated agricultural production. Applicable onfarm practices include adjusting the number and frequency of irrigations; proper time of set and flow rate; ditch lining and, pipelines; land leveling; lining tailwater ditches; change in irrigation methods; water measurement devices; automated timing devices; shallow water areas for wildlife; and development and preservation of wildlife habitat. Specific summaries are presented for each unit, and discussion is presented so that each unit can be independently evaluated. The information in this document, is based on the Colorado River Water Quality Improvement Program Final Environ- mental Statement, or is based on USDA Salinity Reports for the Lower Gunnison Basin Unit (September 1981) and the Uintah Basin Unit (July 1979 and supplemented November 1980). In accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality Regulation (40 CFR 1502.21), some information in these studies is handled by reference, and is not repeated. The concept of improving irrigation efficiency to reduce the salt load (improved water quality) carried by the Colorado River, presents a conflict with the environmental values of protecting irrigation induced wetland habitat. Since the Salinity Control Act, P.L. 93-320, established that the purpose of salinity studies is to develop alternative actions to reduce salt load carried by the Colorado River, this document presents the trade-off. Potential implementation effects on wetlands are shown for alternative actions. In addition, alternative levels of mitigation are shown. The exact level and type (avoiding, minimizing, rehabilitating, or replacing) of mitigation will ultimately depend on: (1) the program used for USDA implementation (thus far most ,of the USDA salinity implementation has been nonprojectwork on individual or contiguous farms which included voluntary wildlife habitat mitigation); (2) possible congressional consideration and approval of unit wide wildlife habitat mitigation (which is outside the present jurisdiction and authority of USDA); and (3) the off-farm i I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I