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<br />Co) <br />N <br />C~ <br />W <br /> <br />participation in salinity control projects by local water users. The Colorado Water Conservation <br />Board has been assisting Reclamation in refming and improving the data in the new CRSS model. <br />The Colorado Soil Conservation Board (CSCB), with support from other state agencies, is <br />continuing its work with the NRCS, FSA and local soil conservation districts, as appropriate, to <br />direct available federal soil conservation programs towards improvement of on-farm irrigation <br />practices and to identify additional areas for program implementation. The salinity control benefits <br />of improved practices are one of the reasons for this effort. Since 1997 the CSCB has managed a <br />program for the Forum that provides for the cost-sharing required for salinity control provided <br />through the USDA EQIP. <br /> <br />Selenium, a naturally occurring element that is essential in trace amounts, and yet may be <br />toxic to fish and birds at higher concentrations, is liberated by the same processes which load salt <br />to the river systems. The Colorado Nonpoint Source Council has funded a Clean Water Act Section <br />319 grant to target selenium loading in the Gunnison and Uncompahgre Valleys, with the goal of <br />reducing the selenium load. Selenium Task Forces have been formed in both the <br />GunnisonlUncompahgre and Grand Valley Basins to address selenium at the local level to facilitate <br />meeting state water quality standards in the Uncompahgre, Gunnison, and Colorado Rivers and <br />associated tributaries. The National Irrigation Water Quality Program (NIWQP), a Department of <br />Interior program comprised of representatives from the USBR, USFWS, USGS and BIA has been <br />charged with identifying and remediating selenium loading as a result of the construction and <br />operation of Federal irrigation projects. Two USBR projects, the Grand Valley and Lower Gunnison <br />units have been identified by the NIWQP as contributing more than 50% of the total selenium load <br />to the upper Colorado River Basin. <br /> <br />In 2000, a demonstration project placed 7.5 miles of earthen canals into piped laterals within <br />the Lower Gunnison unit in an area identified as Montrose Arroyo. This demonstration project was <br />built using a cost share of 44% of the total cost of the project provided by the NIWQP and <br />Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association (UVWUA) thereby, "buying down" the portion <br />provided by the USBR's cost competitive salinity control program. Prior to construction of the <br />project comprehensive baseline data were gathered to determine existing salinity and selenium loads <br />emanating from the basin. Qnce the project was completed, extensive monitoring was instituted to <br />quantify the amount of selenium and salt loading reduction. The first year's data showed a 28% <br />decrease in downstream selenium loading and a 16% decrease in salinity loading (USGS Water <br />Resources Investigation Report 01-4204, 2001). Selenium and salt loading from the basin is <br />continuing to be monitored to determine long term effects. In addition, all wildlife habitat that was <br />lost due to the reduction in seepage from the canals was replaced in kind as a portion of the cost of <br />this project. <br /> <br />Due to the success of this demonstration project the UVWUA has put in a request through <br />the Energy and Water Appropriations Bill for the Departmental Irrigation Drainage Program to <br />provide $750,000 to initiate and continue remediation of selenium loading from Federal irrigation <br />projects in the Lower Gunnison River Basin. This proposal, if funded, will be part ofa ten year 15 <br />million dollar cooperative effort between the USBRSalinity Control Program, UVWUA and the <br /> <br />4-20 <br />