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<br />As of September 30, 1992, 149 salinity contracts have been signed with participants. In <br />c..,) addition 457 farmers have submitted applications for salinity control contracts, but contracts can <br />~ be prepared and signed with only a limited number of these farmers because of inadequate <br />o USDA salinity control program funds. Farmers have installed over 48 miles of pipelines and <br />concrete lined ditches. Six sprinkler systems have been installed, 706 acres of land leveled and <br />43 surface systems improved. A salt load reduction of 24,700 tons/yr has been accomplished. <br /> <br />Bill SandY River (USDA): The Big Sandy River Unit is located in southwestern <br />Wyoming. Below Big Sandy Reservoir water is diverted to irrigate lands in the Eden Project. <br />Irrigation seepage into shallow aquifers near the Big Sandy River is the source of saline seeps. <br />These seeps and springs below the Eden Project contribute about 116,000 tons of salt, and <br />tributaries contribute about 48,000 tons of salt annually to the Green River. <br /> <br />The USDA Big Sandy River Unit plan was published in 1988. The USDA salinity <br />control program consists of converting 15,700 acres of onfarm surface irrigation to low-pressure <br />sprinkler systems. When fully implemented, the onfarm program will reduce the salt loading <br />by 52,900 tons/yr. <br /> <br />As of September 30, 1992,47 salinity contracts have been signed with participants. Also <br />19 farmers have submitted applications for salinity control contracts, but inadequate USDA funds <br />allow the preparation and signature of contracts with only a limited number of these farmers. <br />Thirty-five sprinkler systems have been installed on 3,200 acres, 3 surface systems have been <br />improved on 56 acres and 14 miles of pipeline have been installed. The annual salt reduction <br />from these practices is estimated at 12,500 tons/yr. <br /> <br />Dolores ProiectlMcElmo Creek (Reclamation and USDA): Irrigation and other nonpoint <br />sources in the McElmo Creek area of southwestern Colorado result in an estimated salt load of <br />119,000 tonslyr to the Colorado River. <br /> <br />Salinity control as an added feature of the Dolores Project, already under construction <br />by Reclamation, was authorized by the 1984 amendment to the Salinity Control Act. <br />Reclamation modified the design of Towaoc Canal to allow abandonment and consolidation of <br />certain ditches and is in the process of lining other ditches and installing piped laterals to reduce <br />salt loading from ditch seepage. These improvements, scheduled for completion in 1994, are <br />described in the 1989 Supplement to the Pinal Environmental Statement for the Dolores Project. <br /> <br />The McElmo Creek Unit, as described in the Soil Conservation Services's (SCS) 1989 <br />Environmental Impact Statement, will remove 38,000 tons/yr of salt from the Colorado River. <br />The plan will provide for the installation of sprinkler irrigation systems on 19,700 acres, <br />including 268 miles of pipeline, and surface improvements to another 1,800 acres. <br /> <br />As of September 30, 1992, a total of 91 contracts have been signed with participants. <br />In addition 336 farmers have submitted applications for salinity control contracts. These farmers <br />are ready to implement salinity reduction measures, but only a limited number of contracts can <br />be prepared and signed because of inadequate funding. Since the program was initiated, 29 <br /> <br />4-7 <br />