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<br />Title I of CRBSCA deals with measures downstream of the Imperial Dam. The primary <br />objective of Title I is to comply with minute 242 of the 1944 Mexican Water Treaty. Mi ute 242 <br />commits the United States to maintain the salinity of the water being delivered to Mexico at no more <br />than 115 :!:: 30 ppm greater than the salinity of the water at Imperial Dam. <br /> <br />Title II ofCRBSCA addresses measures upstream of the Imperial Dam. Its prim purpose <br />is to reduce salinity levels to water users on the Lower Colorado River within the United States. <br /> <br /> <br />Over the years, a number of salinity control projects authorized under the CRB CA and <br />administered by the Bureau of Reclamation have been completed in western Colorad . These <br />projects include both the lining of canals and piping of laterals and on-farm improvemen s. <br /> <br />Endan~ered Species Recovery Efforts and Other Environmental Proerams <br /> <br />'- <br /> <br />The realities of the impact of the ESA on the Colorado River Basin surfaced'i the late <br />1970s. The first major legal case was the Tellico Dam decision.133 It is also known as he Snail <br />Darter decision. In the Colorado River Basin, there are a number of species listed under e ESA. <br />The primary species of concern for water projects are the humpback chub, bonytail chub, azorback <br />sucker and Colorado pikeminnow. The pikeminnow was formally known as the Colorado s uawfish. <br /> <br />In the mid 1980s after the Colorado water community realized that Congress w unlikely <br />to repeal or substantially modify the ESA, members of the Colorado Water Congress formed a <br />special project to develop a programmatic approach to recovering the listed fi es. The <br />programmatic approach was endorsed by the federal agencies, states and environmental gr ups. The <br />effort led to the formation of the Upper Colorado River Basin Endangered Fish Recove Program <br />(Upper Basin Program) in 1988. The Upper Basin Program takes a programmatic appro ch to the <br />recovery of the four fish species. <br /> <br />The goals of the Program are to recover the fish while allowing the participat ng states, <br />Colorado, Utah and Wyoming to develop their available compact waters. There are similar programs <br />for the San Juan River Basin and in the Lower Basin. The Lower Basin effort is broader. involves <br />terrestrial species as well. The Lower Basin program is referred to as the Lower Basin Mul i-Species <br />Conservation Program.134 <br /> <br />From a water agency perspective the Upper Basin Program has been very s ccessful. <br />However, there are some realities that need to be disclosed. <br /> <br />1. The Upper Basin Program is very manpower and resource intensive. <br /> <br />2. The Upper Basin Program is heavily reliant on water from Reclamatio Projects. <br />Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Ruedi Reservoir, Blue Mesa Reservoir d Green <br /> <br />133 Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hill. 437 U.S. 153. (1978). <br /> <br />134 More information on these programs can be found on their websites. The Upper Basin program at ww\v.fws. ov coloradoriver <br />recovery, the San Juan Program at www.fws.gov/southwest/sirip and the Lower Basin rogram at <br />www.sci.sdsu.ed ulsalton/lowerco loradori vermscp. <br /> <br />Page -51- <br />