CCAC Commissioned Salinity Report Now Available
Colorado Corn | May 11, 2020
CCAC Commissioned Salinity Report Now Available
NEIRBO has completed its study on current and historical salinity conditions in the South Platte River. The analysis indicates that salinity is steadily increasing in the upper basin and concentrations in the lower basin are high enough to reduce yields of most crops. Salinity is a growing concern for irrigated agriculture and domestic water supplies.
This high-level analysis provides an overall understanding of salinity within the South Platte Basin’s hydrologic system. Hopefully, this leads to greater awareness of salinity and its importance for irrigated agriculture and our water resources. Unknowns remain and additional monitoring and analysis will clarify the path forward. Ultimately, the goal is to identify water-management practices that will protect all water users from salinity’s detrimental effects. The many salinity sources and diverse water users will necessitate contributions and collaboration from many government agencies, conservation districts, water suppliers, and water users. The following recommendations for monitoring and analyses will provide the information needed to guide development of appropriate management strategies.
The full salinity study commissioned by Colorado Corn Administrative Committee is now available at
https://neirbo.com/