The City of Grand Junction, Mesa County and Colorado State University have joined in a study of the benefits of adding compost to soil.

“This study will provide valuable data about the benefits of using compost to conserve water in our communities while repurposing valuable natural resources,” said Jay Valentine, general services director for the City of Grand Junction.

“We have successfully captured more than 124 tons of organic material since our new programs have been introduced to the community,” Valentine said. “Not only does this conserve valuable space in the landfill, but provides useful compost material.”

The study will help determine how the addition of compost could improve the holding capacity of water in the soil while also increasing soil fertility and biological activity.

The project is being conducted through on-farm trails to demonstrate the benefits of compost and develop compost application rate recommendations for different crops grown in the Grand Junction area.

The study is funded by an $86,000 grant the city received from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to increase organic waste diversion and promote the use of compost in food production systems.

According to a 2019 report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency, stream flows in the upper Colorado River have declined by 20 percent in the last century, in turn causing historic drought conditions in the basin.

Agricultural producers on the Western Slope have been exploring ways to conserve water, including the application of compost.

According to one estimate by the Natural Resource Defense Council, for every 1 percent increase of organic matter, soil can hold an additional 20,000 gallons of water per acre.

This spring, the City of Grand Junction began a yard waste collection program for new dual stream recycling customers as the program is phased in throughout the city. That green waste goes to the Mesa County Landfill compost facility for subsequent distribution to area farms.

The compost use trial portion of the study is taking place at three farms — two locations managed by Early Morning Orchard in Palisade and a third at the Fruita Flower Farm. Crops treated with the compost include peach trees, vegetable row crops and cut flowers.

“Local governments’ dedication to producing compost in the Grand Junction area offer a unique opportunity for local businesses to utilize organic materials that would have otherwise ended up in the landfill and improve soil health and water use efficiency,” said Jeff Pieper, a commercial horticulturist with the Colorado State University who serves as the science liaison on the project.

Baseline data was collected in the spring and compost was applied prior to the 2023 growing season. Data will be collected for two consecutive years to quantify such metrics as soil health, water infiltration, compaction and fungal to bacterial ratios.

For more information about the compost study and the City of Grand Junction’s green waste program, contact Kym Beck, supervisor of city recycling and waste reduction, by email at recycling@gjcity.org or call (970) 256-4136.