WSP06919

• File Number: 8275.100
• Description: Legislation and Litigation -- SALINITY -- Federal Legislation
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 3/26/1980
• Title: Statement of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum before the Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture and Related Agencies Presented by Daniel Lawrence - Chairman
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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The U,S. Department of Agriculture has been cooperating with the

Water and Power Resources Service, Environmental Protection Agency, other

federal agencies, state, and local agencies in the investigation of salt

sources in the Basin which originate from irrigated agriculture. These

salt contributions are due primarily to irrigation of lands which are under-

lain by saline geologic formations such as the Mancos shale. As a result of

these studies, the Department of Agriculture initiated in FY 1979 an on-farm

improvement program for salinity control in the Grand Valley of Colorado.

The on-farm program of the Department of Agriculture is designed to

reduce the salt load through improved irrigation systems and wate~ management.

It.consists of the installation of irrigation pipelines, lining of farmers'

head ditches, installation of automated gated pipe, land leveling, and the

use of drip and sprinkler irrigation on selected areas. These on-farm

practices have been demonstrated to be very cost-effective means of salinity

control. However, the Department of Agriculture has yet to include funds for

this program in its normal budgetary. process,

In Fiscal Years 1979 and 1980, the seven Basin states, through the

Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum, sought increases in the USDA

budget for on-farm salinity control activities. The Congress has seen fit

to recommend that the ASCS allocate $1.94 million in 1979, and $3.7 million

in 1980, of its on-going program fund for this activity. In addition, funds

werc provided for technical assistance by the Soil Conservation Service and

research by the Science and Education Administration.

In Grand Valley, SCS has estimated that approximately 130,OOO.tons per

year reduction in salt tonnage can be achieved through implementing the

10-year irrigation improvement program on some 48,000 acres. The on-farm

program has had enthusiastic reception by the local farmers such that by the

end of 1979, 470 farmers had requested assistance in the cost-share program.

During the initial year of the program, salinity control practices were

installed on 163 farms, including 26,000 feet of irrigation pipeline, 34,000

feet of concrete-lined ditch, and 25.000 feet of gated pipe. Land leveling

was carried out on 440 acres, and 5 drip irrigation systems have been

installed. The installed practices involved federal cost-sharing of $723,650.

An additional $879,170 in FY 1979 of federal cost-sharing funds were committed

for practices with completed design but awaiting construction,

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