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<br />'. <br /> <br />OJ!~77 <br /> <br />Salinity Related Concerns <br /> <br />,Comment 7- The water involved in the earriage Contract represents water saved by MVIe <br />through taxpayer-funded salinity control efforts and in addition eolorado Taxpayers will <br />underwrite low interest loans to DWCD for the new project. Substantial sums have been spent <br />by Reclamation and the Natural Resources Conservation Service on salinity control in the area; <br />and a substantial portion of the "saved water" results from that salinity control. <br />Response 7-As background, Public Law 93-320 originally authorized study of the McElmo <br />Creek Salinity Control Unit as part of the salinity control investigations in the Dolores Project <br />area. The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of June 24, 1974 (PL 93-320) originally <br />authorized the unit as part of a basin wide program of works to enhance and protect Colorado <br />River water quality. Public Law 98-560 of October 30, 1984, authorized construction of the <br />McElmo Creek Unit salinity control features as part of the Dolores Project. Salinity control <br />features include lining or piping irrigation systems to reduce seepage of water into soils with high <br />salinity and "on-farm" activities to reduce seepage from farm ditches and to encourage use of <br />water-efficient sprinkler systems. <br /> <br />A significant portion of the water shares that may be sold by MVIC to the DWCD is available as <br />a result of the irrigation improvements completed under the Colorado River Basin Salinity <br />Control Act. The salinity control is funded by cost sharing: 70% Federal and 30% State. The <br />objective of the eolorado River Basin Salinity eontrol Program is the maintenance of salinity <br />levels at or below levels found in the mainstem of the Colorado River as of 1972, while allowing <br />the Upper Basin States to develop full use of their eolorado River Compact apportioned water. <br />Salinity control programs have been successful, and presently salinity levels are well below the <br />numeric criteria for salinity standards; the irrigation developed under the Carriage Contract <br />would not adversely affect this. <br /> <br />The proposed Federal action-execution of a earriage Contract-is consistent with the objectives <br />of salinity program. This can be seen in Reclamation's salinity control contract (No. 9-07-40- <br />R0730) with MVIC, the DWCD, and the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe, which provides for the <br />rehabilitation, operation, maintenance, and replacement of facilities to reduce salinity inflow into <br />the Colorado River. This contract states in part that "Nothing in this contract shall be construed <br />to alter, amend, modify, or conflict with the rights of the Company [MVIC] to make use of all <br />water adjudicated for its use in a manner consistent with the laws of the State of Colorado. The <br />Company, District [DWCD], and Reclamation agree that any water saved by the rehabilitation, <br />construction, and operation of facilities under this contract may be put to use by the Company for <br />any use, including, but not limited to, fish and wildlife enhancement and maintenance of <br />cottonwood habitat in accordance with approved Department of Agriculture programs for such <br />use. Any saved water will be used only in a manner which shall not result in any material <br />increase of salinity inflow into drainages of the Montezuma Valley and the Colorado River." <br /> <br />Conveyance of this water under a Carriage Contract is not expected to materially increase salinity <br />loading to the Colorado River. The water was historically used for irrigation of highly saline <br />soils derived from marine shales. The new irrigation lands, presently dryland farmed, have soils <br /> <br />22 <br />