Utah Water Science Center

Investigation of salt loads from irrigated lands near Manila and Green River, Utah

Project Number: 9716BDR
Cooperating Agencyies: Bureau of Reclamation and the Natural Resources Conservation Service
Project Chief: Steve Gerner, USGS Salt Lake City, Utah
Project Period: 2004-2006

Shallow monitoring well near Green River, Utah

Problem: The Colorado River Salinity Control Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-320) includes water quality standards for total dissolved solids concentrations at various points in the basin. Since 1974 there has been an active program implementing salinity control projects by numerous Federal, State and local agencies coordinated by the Colorado Salinity Control Forum. Areas of irrigated agriculture have been the focal point of many of these projects because changes to infrastructure and irrigation practices can yield substantial reductions in salt loads. The Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) has requested the U. S. Geological Survey determine salt loading to the Green River for two areas of irrigated agriculture in Utah.

Objectives: 1) Determine salt loading to the Green River from irrigated lands near Manila and Green River, Utah. 2) Develop and test methods for using the isotopes of boron and strontium to differentiate and partition measured salt loads to streams from irrigated lands into irrigation and non-irrigation sources.

Relevance and Benefits: This study will determine salt loading to the Green River from irrigated lands in two areas in Utah. The study will investigate new methods to differentiate loading from different sources. Results of the study will be used by other federal agencies to devise strategies for salinity control for these areas. The testing of new methods will result in improved efficiency and precision in the measurement of salt loads that can be used in a number of areas in Utah.

Approach: The study will take a multidisciplinary phased approach to determining salt loading from irrigated lands. Basic hydrologic measurements will be combined with water quality analyses to calculate salt loads near Manila and Green River, Utah, and to differentiate between salt loading from irrigation return flow and naturally-occurring ground-water discharge. The study will have a salt load and an isotope geochemistry component. The salt load component will use hydrologic measurements, water-quality sampling, and analysis of dissolved solids to calculate salt loads. The isotope geochemistry component will develop isotopic tracer methods that can be applied to other irrigated lands having similar lithologic and hydrologic settings.

Products: All data collected in the proposed study will be archived in the USGS NWIS database for permanent storage. Data collected as part of the study will be published in the electronic USGS Water Resources Data Report for Utah. Results of the study will be published as a USGS Scientific Investigations Report and in an appropriate journal article.

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U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
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Page Last Modified: Wednesday, 10-May-2006 16:06:01 EDT