News Release Archive

Sprinklers Benefit Rural Community and the Colorado River

Media Contact: Stacey Carroll, (801 524-3813, 06/08/2006 18:13

For Release: June 08, 2006

For nearly the past century, farmers and ranchers in Ferron, Utah, have been flood irrigating. In this arid and mineral laden region, flood irrigating has resulted in large salt accumulations in Ferron Creek a tributary to the San Rafael and Colorado River - and caused extensive damage to the once productive agricultural soils. Today, a pressurized irrigation system allows water-saving sprinkler irrigation equipment to water nearly 9,000 acres of farmland. In addition, the irrigation system, funded by the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program, has prevented nearly 30,000 tons of salt annually from entering the Colorado River.

In 1998, Ferron water losses from ground transportation of water and on farm irrigation contributed to the salt accumulation into the Colorado River. Salt accumulation has been decreased by reducing deep percolation, eliminating canal and ditch seepage, and by improving efficiency of surface irrigation by installation of the pressurized sprinkler system. Prior to the initiation of salinity control efforts, the overall efficiency of flood irrigating agricultural soils was about 30 percent. Today, after the development of new control measures, efficiency has increased to 67 percent.

This basinwide effort to reduce salt mobilization and transport to the Colorado River is the goal of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program (Program). Since the Colorado River is the primary source of domestic water for some 27 million people and provides irrigation water for more than 3.5 million acres of farmland, it is important that the concentration of salt - which impacts residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural water users alike - remain as low as possible.

"The Program is a great example of cooperative conservation at the grassroots community level," noted Roger Barton, Program Manager with Utah Association of Conservation Districts. "Ninety-seven percent of the farmland has replaced flood irrigation with the sprinkler irrigation."

The reduction in salt has also provided another benefit to Ferron: a continued water supply in the fall. By late summer in past years prior to the salinity control efforts, the crucial supply of water which is needed for the farming yeield would typically be depleted. In 2005, irrigation water remained in the reservoirs until late November, and, indeed, not all was used. This is something that has never been seen by long-time residents of the community.

"This is a win-win situation for everyone: The producers to the Fish and Wildlife Services, to the local community and the economics of the area," said Tracy Behling, President of the Ferron Canal and Reservoir Company. "Everybody wins with the completion of the Ferron Project through the Salinity Program."

The Program is a partnership effort between agricultural producers, federal agencies and the seven Colorado River Basin states, Colorado River water users in each of the States and the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum. Collectively, the Program is reducing the amount of salt in the Colorado River while allowing water use to continue to be developed.

The Program is a partnership effort under the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program. The Ferron Project was able to receive sponsorship from the Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), with strong support from the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum. Reclamation sponsored the off-farm improvements and the NRCS sponsored the on-farm improvements with Environmental Quality Incentives Program funding and some Basin States Parallel Program funding provided through the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.

A celebration will take place today at the Millsite State Park, two miles west of Ferron, commemorating the completion of the Ferron Salinity Control Irrigation Project and the success of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program. For additional details about the event, please contact Stacey Carroll at (801) 524-3813 or by email at scarrroll@uc.usbr.gov.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.