Grand Valley Unit Negative Determination

UNITED STATES

DEPARTMENT

of

the

INTERIOR

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *news

release

BUREAU OF RECLAMATIOll

Grand Junction, Colorado

(Rinckel (303) 243-4992)

FOR IMMEDJ ATE RELEASE

GRAND VALLEY tmiT NEGATIVE DETER}UNATION

AVAILA!ILE TO THE PUBLIC

July 27, 1978

A Nec::d~ 1\r~c~. ar"l!

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s ,.1JiP'b -:.;U. I~a-c~ S-tage On& of th.: Grand

Valley U.tit of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Project has been released by the Bure~tu of Reclamation. The negative detenaination, which ia available for public review at the Western Colorado Projects Office, 764 Horizon Drive, Grand J etion 81501, addresses only the impacts of Stage One which includes lining of 6. 7 ml!CS

or

canal and construction of 29.7 :Iiles of piped laterals in the Grand \'lllley._ColDn.dD. The unit is part of the Colorado River Water Quality Improve-:qenc--Trograll!. A "Final Envirowoental Statement, FES 77-15, on the entire program --~was filt:d with the Council on Environmental Quality on May 19, 1977.

The determination satisfies requirements of the National Environmental Policy

~t and clears the way for construction activities. Any further development of the Grand Valley Unit, which tentative:iy includes an additional 178 miles of canal and 420 uiles of laterals, -~11 be dependent upon data received from the monitoring programs to be undertaken in the Stage One area. If monitoring results are favor

-able, impacts of the remainder of the unit will be addressed in draft and final environmental statements which ""ill be prepared b~::for~decision is ude on any

further construction.

The 3rand Valley Unit has been planned to reduce and control salinity levels

in the COlorado River by implementation of a three part program: improvement of

uaior irziant.'n, system~ r~ rndnce sa:epa~d ;>rcvent t.~tc:- lo:::ccs thrc~gh

improved management control, scientific scheduling of irrigation events to

minimize sali nity contributions, and improvement of on- farm irrigation facilities

to reduce &ePpage and provide controlled water m~nagement.

Stage One, which covers approximately 10 percent of the project area, is designed to pro·.ride information to fully analyze the effectiveness o! the proposed plan. Stage One will be constructed and monitored to determine whether the

reminder of the unit would be an effective and appropriate aetbod of salinity control.