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<br />w <br />0') <br />tv <br />00 objectives of the program. The SCS contract provides for technical <br />assistance and irrigation efficiency checks for a 2-year period. <br /> <br />Two hundred si&teen applications including 26,850 acres have been <br />received since the inception of the program. One hundred forty of these <br />have a high priority classification and 92 contracts have been developed <br />on 13,494 acres to the present time. This represents 68 percent of the <br />total acres to be treated during the entire program and has resulted in <br />a Federal cost of almost $3 million. <br /> <br />Practices have been completed for 51 contracts on a total of 7,800 acres, <br />involving about $1.6 million of Federal funds. <br /> <br />Technical assistance is being provided to the farmers on how to manage the <br />new irrigation systems efficiently. An evaluation of before and after <br />treatment conditions was attempted. The average irrigation efficiency <br />"before" treatment was 63 percent; after treatment and assistance in <br />management, it increased from 10 to 24 percent for various crops. <br /> <br />The overall effect has shown a definite gain in irrigation efficiency. <br /> <br />The basic crops this year have been alfalfa and cotton which are higher <br />efficiency crops. There is still a substantial amount of work to be done <br />in the water management area. <br /> <br />Research and Demonstration Program <br /> <br />Six projects have been funded to provide information helpful in implement- <br />ing the program for increasing irrigation efficiency in the District. <br /> <br />1. Monitoring Soil Salinity (Rhoades, USSL). The probe was shown <br />to be a useful tool to determine the direction of flow, and hence the <br />absence or presence of leaching, as verified from chloride concentrations <br />at various depths. This project was completed in 1978. <br /> <br />2. Clo in of Emitters in Trickle Irri ation S stems Naka ama, <br />USWCL). Resu ts from 2 years of stu y show that em tter operation can be <br />maintained with adequate water treatment that includes filtration and <br />chemical treatment. Termination of this project is scheduled for mid-1979. <br /> <br />3. Mana in Pressurized Irri ation S stems for Citrus Roth U of A <br />Trees receiving 30 inches grew ess rapt ly than those receiving more. <br />Trees receiving 0.75 lb nitrogen CN) grew less than those receiving 1.5 <br />or 3.0 lb N. <br /> <br />27 <br />