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LCRSAN mission, purpose, and program goals Main LCRSAN sponsors Regional background and local SAAA information Assessment hardware components Assessment software information Technical assessment methodologies Salinity assessment examples On-line information and salinity links LCRSAN contact information

 
The greater Yuma agricultural area... Welcome to the 
Lower Colorado Region 
Salinity Assessment Network 
This site describes the Lower Colorado Region Salinity Assessment Network (LCRSAN), and includes information about the LCRSAN program, sponsors, locations, and service areas.  This site also describes current salinity assessment technologies and surveying techniques, including recent hardware and software developments, and features an on-line resource page and salinity information links. 



 
Mission & Objectives
The Lower Colorado Region Salinity Assessment Network (LCRSAN) is an organization of local action agencies dedicated to the monitoring, control, and abatement of soil salinity within the irrigated agricultural areas of the Lower Colorado Region.  Each action agency within the Network is capable of performing rapid, cost effective salinity inventorying and monitoring surveys via the use of mobilized soil conductivity assessment equipment and salinity inventorying software.  Jointly sponsored by the USDA-ARS George E. Brown, Jr. Salinity Laboratory and the USBR Lower Colorado Region, the LCRSAN program is designed to ensure the success of each local salinity assessment program by:
    1. coordinating equipment funding and cost sharing activities,
    2. providing assessment related training and surveying instruction,
    3. offering advice and guidance on hardware integration, and
    4. facilitating the distribution of  user friendly salinity assessment software.
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Program Purpose
Irrigation represents an extremely important and productive agricultural practice.  Unfortunately, improper irrigation practices very often lead to the buildup of salts, toxic chemicals, and pesticides in the soil and associated waters.  Insufficient irrigation can result in critical soil salinisation over time, while excessive irrigation typically leads to down slope soil and groundwater non point source pollution problems.  Ultimately, the long term control of soil salinity and/or other associated soil chemicals can only be achieved through the implementation of optimal irrigation management practices.

The design of an effective irrigation management strategy requires that one have detailed knowledge of the field scale spatial salinity pattern.  Additionally, adequate information on the changing salinity conditions over time is critically important if optimal irrigation practices are to be identified and sustained for the long term.

The primary purpose of the LCRSAN program is to help develop and equip each local salinity assessment action agency with the necessary tools and training to perform rapid salinity inventorying and monitoring, and to instruct each agency in the proper use and interpretation of various salinity assessment technologies.
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Long Range Goals
The primary long range goal of the LCRSAN program is to foster the growth, development, and independence of each local salinity assessment action agency supported by the network, and to empower each agency to better serve its local agricultural constituents with respect to soil salinity assessment and abatement issues.  To achieve this goal, the LCRSAN program actively promotes methodologies and technologies which can be better used to
    1. Inventory soil salinity, both at the field and regional scale
    2. Monitor changing soil salinity conditions over time
    3. Evaluate the adequacy of irrigation and/or drainage systems
    4. Optimize irrigation management practices and water use efficiency
    5. Address leaching and salt loading issues, and
    6. Optimize the reclamation of saline and/or sodic soils
LCRSAN personnel and MSCA equipment
Figure 1.  The LCRSAN local salinity assessment action agency personnel, technical 
program coordinators, and various MSCA systems.
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Home Sponsors LC Region Hardware Software TAMs SAEs OnLine Info Contact
The Lower Colorado Region Salinity Assessment Network
LCRSAN Website hosted by the USDA-ARS George E. Brown Jr. Salinity Laboratory