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<br />1995 ANNUAL REPORT <br /> <br />o <br />....] <br />01 <br />t+:-- <br /> <br />that current USGS plans to further downgrade the number of NASQAN stations, and others, will <br />severely impact opportunities to evaluate and improve the salinity control program and may <br />inhibit future investigative efforts by disrupting long term records of water quantity and quality <br />at key stations, The Council urges USGS to pursue funding to maintain its essential, traditional <br />program of basic water quantity and quality data collection, <br /> <br />Deparlment of Agriculture <br /> <br />Administration of the salinity control program was consolidated within the Natural Resources <br />Conservation Service (NRCS) and program management activities were coordinated out of the <br />Washington, D,C. office due to reorganization within the agency, The Council reiterates its past <br />recommendation that the U,S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) consider transferring primacy <br />in the day-to-day salinity control responsibility to one of the Upper Colorado River Basin state <br />or regional offices to provide more effective and accessible coordination and facilitation, <br /> <br />The Council recognizes that some of the most cost effective projects in the plan of <br />implementation adopted by the states in the water quality standards for salinity control have been <br />a result of USDA's on-farm salinity control program, Also, the Council recognizes the <br />importance of a basin-wide approach to determining the implementation of the most cost <br />effective measures to control salinity in the waters of the Colorado River, The Council fears <br />that lack of coordination within USDA regional or state offices could lead to expenditure of <br />funds for the implementation of less cost effective projects because the distribution of funds <br />could be based on regional or state priorities rather than basin-wide priorities, The necessary <br />coordination of USDA's salinity control activities could be accomplished by assigning one <br />regional or state office primacy in determining the priority of projects basin-wide, That <br />designated state or regional office could then be the focal point for coordination and consultation <br />with the Council and the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum, The Council <br />recommends that the USDA, through NRCS, strive to ensure that the most cost effective projects <br /> <br />COWRADO RIVER BASIN SAUNITY CONTROL ADVISORY COUNCIL <br /> <br />5 <br />