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<br />- <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />o <br />o <br />w <br />m <br /> <br />The Fonun took this position because the Colorado River Basin is a large and complex area <br />with many problems, A wide range of research, technical studies and actions are underway, and <br />much knowledge is yet to be gained, Procedures for reducing the volume of saline irrigation return <br />flows have been developed, The USDA is implementing a voluntary cost-sharing program wjth <br />individual farmers, irrigation districts, and canal companies in order to accomplish salt loading <br />reductions to the river system by improving on-farm water management practices as well as water <br />delivery and drainage systems, <br /> <br />A Work Group, created by the Fonun, holds meetings on a more frequent basis than the <br />Fonun to review technical information which is generated by the federal agencies, Membership on <br />the Work Group is composed of technical representatives from each of the Basin states and the <br />Executive Director of the Forum, The Work Group keeps current with salinity control efforts and <br />suggests revisions as appropriate, The Work Group operates under a schedule which enables the <br />states to take action on any potential revision in a timely manner, <br /> <br />Review ofthe Numeric Criteria <br /> <br />Based on the Fonun's statement quoted above, this document is the appropriate setting to <br />review the numeric criteria and recommend any changes if necessary. <br /> <br />. The existing numeric criteria were adopted nearly 25 years ago, Since then, the lower <br />mainstem of the Colorado River has undergone many changes, While consumptive use by <br />agriculture has remained at about 77 percent of the overall demand in the Lower Basin, there has <br />been a shift from growing mostly low value salt tolerant crops to growing higher value, less salt <br />tolerant crops, The need for water conservation and efficiency within the agriculture sector <br />continues to put an emphasis on reducing salinity, Municipal and industrial sector uses remain at <br />approximately 23 percent of the overall demand, but the actual use by this sector has increased by <br />approximately 20 percent since 1972, Current trends would indicate increased use by this sector will <br />continue, As this trend continues, the Lower Basin will likely see water moving from the <br />agricultural sector to the municipal and industrial sector, <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The numeric criteria were established in 1974 to prevent additional economic damage in the <br />Lower Basin as the Upper Basin continued to develop, They were established based on the water use <br />patterns in 1972, As those use patterns evolve over time, it is appropriate to review the numeric <br />criteria to determine if they still adequately protect water uses in the Lower Basin, Both California <br />and Arizona have begun to evaluate the effect of higher salinity on the municipal and industrial <br />sectors in their states, Agricultural and municipal interests in California continue to pursue the <br />movement of water from one sector to the other. As these efforts progress, it will continue to be <br />appropriate to revisit the numeric criteria values associated with the water quality standards for <br />salinity in the Colorado River system, <br /> <br />3-3 <br />