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INTRODUCTION Authority for IDVesti~ation The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act (Public Law 93-320) signed June 24, 1974 authorized USDA to participate in salinity control investigations along with the U. S. Department of Interior (USDI) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the states of Arizona, Califor- nia, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Title II (Section 203) of the act directs the Secretary of the Interior to cooperate with the Secretary of Agriculture in carrying out research and demonstration projects, and in implementing on-the-farm improvements and management practices and programs to further the objectives of the salinity control program upstream from Imperial Dam on the Colorado River. Section 203, under Title II define. USDA responsibilities on spec- ified~'irrigation and diffnse source control units along with other areas that may warrant study, includina the Virgin River Basin of the Colorado River. In this report, USDA presents alternative plans for reducing salt loading through improvement of onfarm irrigation efficiency and a plan for implementing the improvements. The MemorandUlll of Understanding between USDI and USDA dated Nov- ember 27, 1974 (as extended October 26. 1979), was by authority of the Interdepartmental Work Service Act of March 4, 1915, (38 Stat. 1084), as amended; the Economy Act of June 30, 1932, (31 U.S.C. Sec. 686); and the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of June 24, 1974, (88 Stat. 266). A MemorandUlll of Agreement, effective March 27, 1975 (as supplemented August 23, 1979) was entered into between U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) and the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) to implement the specific cooperative activities called for under Title II of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act. So11 Conservation Service planning activities are authorized under Section 6 of PL-83-566 with added authority under PL-93-320, Section 203(a) (1) and (b) (1). Objective and Scope The objectives of the USDA's salinity control studies in the Virgin River Unit of the Colorado River Basin are: 1. To determine the contribution of selt and sediment loading from irri- gated land and related private upland watershed areas. 2. To determine the opportunity for reducing salt loading (1) by reduc- ing seepage and deep percolation losses through improving off-farm distribution systems and onfarm irrigation efficiencies and (2) by controlling erosion and reducing sediment delivery from irrigated and nonirrigated croplands and contributing private watershed areas. 1 'I,)''''.... v_l";;.)(