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" o '-OJ ~... c..o en The cost of the construction, operation and maintenance of the ~ Paradox Valley, Grand Valley, Crystal Geyser, and Las Vegas Wash units has been estimated in the Act at $125,100,000 based on April 1973 prices, plus or minus ordinary cost fluctuations. In recognition of Federal responsibility for the Colorado River as an interstate stream and for international comity with Mexico, Federal ownership of the lands of the Colorado River Basin from which most of the dissolved salts originate, and the policy embodied in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, the Act provides that 75 percent of the cost of these four units will be paid by the Federal Government on a nonreimbursable basis. The remaining 25 percent of the costs is to be allocated between the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund and the Lower Colorado River Basin Development Fund on the basis of benefits derived, Causes of salinity and availability of revenues. In no case, however, will the Upper Colorado Basin Funds allocation exceed 15 percent of the 25 percent to be paid by the two funds. Construction of the four units is presently scheduled for a 1976-1983 time frame. Another feature of the Act is the creation of an advisory board named the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council. This Council is to be composed of no more than three members from each state appointed by the Governor of each of the Colorado River Basin states. The council is advisory only. Its principal functions are to act as liaison between both Federal agency heads and the states; to receive, review and comment on reports from the Secretary of the Interior; and to recommend appropriate studies of further projects, techniques or methods for accomplishing the purposes of Title II. The programs which I have just described are authorized by Title II of ,the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Project. As I stated earlier, Title I of the Act deals with reducing the salinity of return flows from the Wellton-Mohawk Project by means which include the construction and operation of a 100 million gallon per day desalting plant. Title I is intended to carry out the intent of Minute No. 242 of the International Boundary and Water Commission which was signed in Mexico City on August 30, 1973. , The Minute, entitled Permanent and Definitive Solution to the International Problem of the Salinity of the Colorado River, includes among other provisions under Point 1 the following: "The United States shall adopt measures to assure that not earlier than January 1, 1974, and no later than July 1, 1974, the approximately 10