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average precipitation. These highs decline during the rest of the year, 

 but usually do not reach the previous year's low, reflecting a continual 

 buildup of excess water. Thus each succeeding wet cycle makes the 

 saline seep problem worse. 



In many areas the "perched" water table has built up to a 

 point where coulees that were formerly dry most of the year are now 

 starting to flow year-round. Most of the saline water evaporates 

 before reaching perennial streams, leaving the salts behind to be 

 flushed away during spring runoff, but unless the seeps stop growing, 

 many coulees will soon start to carry highly saline water to all the 

 region's perennial streams. 



Saline seeps are a result of local, not regional, flow systems; 

 that is, the excess water that produces the seeps is locally derived. 

 The surface dimension of each wet-saline (discharge) area is directly 

 related to the size of the adjacent upland (recharge) area. Freshwater 

 ponds often cover part or all of the recharge area for weeks at a time, 

 adding large quantities of water to the soil profile and seriously 

 aggravating the seep problem downslope. The importance of recharge 

 areas has for the most part been overlooked. Delineation of these areas, 

 improved drainage where possible, and an intensified cropping system 

 would mitigate the seep problem. Frequently, the recharge area is 

 left fallow while attention is focused on the discharge area- -the seep 

 itself. 



