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The development of ‘best management practices’ (BMP) for controlling the salinity associated with irrigation return flows involves (1) delineation of the hydro‐salinity systems, (2) linkage of salinity impacts and irrigation practices, and (3) determining the least cost or most beneficial program for salinity management. The Grand Valley in western Colorado is one of the most significant contributors to the salinity problem in the Colorado River Basin and has been studied intensively to develop and apply the concepts of BMP. The hydro‐salinity system is described by research data collected over an 8‐year period. A mathematical simulation of the cost‐effectiveness relationships for various agricultural and desalination salinity control alternatives for reducing salt pickup by irrigation return flows was developed. Cost‐effectiveness functions developed from the model were then optimized using a least cost criterion to determine the most cost‐effective strategies for salinity control in the Valley. The analysis indicates that lining small conveyance channels to reduce seepage and increasing the efficiency of the existing furrow irrigation systems should be given the highest priority in any future salinity management programs. Canal lining and desalination of return flows are costly alternatives, but are feasible when the level of salinity control requires nearly total alleviation of the problem.
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