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~ 4 .... 00 ~ ::.,.' Salinity Update April 1986 CRSC contracts signed in Uinta Basin In Uinta Basin, March 24, 1966, 76 Colorado River Salinity Control contracts totaling $3,241,567 were authorized by USDA, according to Jim Wesion, Project Manager of the Soil Conservation Service, Roosevelt, Utah. The Uiniah Basin Soil Conserva- tion District (UBSCD) and the Agricultural Stabilization and Con- servation Service (ASCS) reviewed and approved the 76 contracts to install improved irrigation systems and wildlife habiiat. The Soil Conservation Service (SCS) provides farmers wiih techni- cal assistance to develop, design, and certify completion of contract items. The Duchesne County ASCS auihorized $1,569,481 to help cost- share 52 salinity contracts. The Uintah County ASCS provided $692,522 for 24 contracts. These dollar amounts represent ap- proximately 70 percent of the total projeci cosi for irrigation improve- ments. The Uinta Basin is one of two areas w~hin ihe United States ap- proved to provide farmers cost- share funds under the Colorado River Salinny Control (CRSC) program. The CRSC program is designed to help reduce the salt concentra- tion in irrigation return flow enter- ing the Colorado River. Seven western siates are currently involved with ihis sall/oad reduc- tion program. Thousands of acres of productive iarmland are degraded annually by salts that prevent normal crop growth. Industrial and municipal problems result from salt loading that has occurred in the lower part of the Colorado River Basin. Under the provisions of the Colorado River Salinity Control program, farmers are eligible to receive up to $tOO,DOO in federal cost.share funds for installation of irrigation and wildlife practices. The purpose of these conserva- tion contracts is to improve irriga- tion efficiency and prevent deep water percolaltion that results in less sali leaching through the soil profile. Onfarm irrigation efficien- cies will improve from 15 to 70 per- cent on Uinta Basin farms. Over the past eight years, the USDA has allocaied approximately $13 million in cost-share funds to farmers in the Uinta Basin. These federal funds are used strictly for U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation A Quarterly Report on the Colorado River Water Quality Improvement Program the improvement of irrigation effi- ciency to reduce salt loading and for wildlife enhancement. In addition to the above, the 76 CRSC contracts will treat 3,486 acres of land. This will in turn pre- vent 2,177 tons of salt from reach- ing the Colorado River annually, and approximately 155 acres of upland habitat and wetlands will be developed due to contracted nems to improve habitat. Salinity rebounding The following graph iIIusirates the recent salinity conditions at Imperial Dam. The conditions since 1982 to January 1966 are recorded on the .graph. It is easy to see that the salinity "bottomed out" in 1966 and is on the predicted upward trend. Provisional data were used for 1966 and 1967. RECENT SALINITY CONDITIONS AT IMPERIAL DAM 950 900 850 800 750 700 850 600 550 1986 I 1987 Salinity in mg/L at Imperial Dam over recent years shows the predicted upward trend.