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<br />54 Chapter l-Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program
<br />
<br />To provide information required by local, State,
<br />other Federal agencies in addressing Colorado
<br />River water quantity and quality problems,
<br />USGS operates and maintains a network of
<br />streamflow gaging stations and water quality
<br />sampling stations in the Colorado River
<br />Basin. In 1990, this network consisted of
<br />559 streamflow and 145 water quality stations.
<br />Streamflow and water quality information from
<br />these stations provide input to the hydrologic
<br />data base for Reclamation's Colorado River
<br />Simulation System (eRSS) described in
<br />chapter 8.
<br />
<br />In addition to collecting and compiling
<br />hydrologic data, USGS conducts specific
<br />investigations on surface water, ground water,
<br />and water quality. Some USGS investigations of
<br />interest to the salinity control program include a
<br />study of the effect of brine injection activities in
<br />the Uinta Basin, northeastern Utah; a study
<br />investigating elevated, and possibly increasing,
<br />salinity in the water of the Navajo and other
<br />sandstone aquifers in the Aneth area, San Juan
<br />County, Utah; a project to identify saline
<br />discharge source areas on public lands in
<br />Nevada; consumptive use of water in the
<br />Colorado River Basin in Colorado and Arizona;
<br />and irrigation drainage studies in Arizona,
<br />Utah, and Colorado.
<br />
<br />Fish and Wildlife Service
<br />
<br />The responsibilities, set forth in the Endangered
<br />Species Act, Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act,
<br />Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy
<br />Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, provide
<br />for FWS participation in the Colorado River
<br />Salinity Program. It is mainly through these
<br />legislative authorities that the FWS works
<br />toward meeting its objective of providing the
<br />Federal leadership to conserve, protect, and
<br />enhance fish and wildlife and their habitat for
<br />the continuing benefit of the public.
<br />
<br />A biological diversity offish and wildlife
<br />resources and a great number of unique species
<br />exist in the Colorado River Basin. This river
<br />system has one of the largest lists of threatened
<br />and endangered fish and wildlife species in the
<br />United States. The basin also contains other
<br />significant resources, including migratory birds
<br />
<br />and waterfowl, nonmigratory birds, big game,
<br />wetlands, riparian lands, and other habitats
<br />that support wildlife.
<br />
<br />In general, FWS activities consist of evaluating
<br />salinity control unit proposals and preparing
<br />related Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act
<br />reports, planning aid memorandums, biological
<br />opinions, commenting on draft environmental
<br />impact statements, and preparing biological
<br />assessments. FWS has completed major efforts
<br />on ten salinity control units and is currently
<br />involved with six additional salinity control
<br />units under study in the Colorado River Basin.
<br />
<br />FWS input to planning salinity control units also
<br />is provided through participation in a variety of
<br />working/planning meetings with Reclamation,
<br />SCS, BLM, State water development agencies,
<br />fish and wildlife resource agencies, Indian
<br />tribes, and other interested parties. As required
<br />by the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish
<br />and Wildlife Service (FWS) provides lists of
<br />threatened or endangered species in salinity
<br />control project areas and biological opinions.
<br />
<br />u.S. Department of Agriculture
<br />
<br />Public Law 98-569 provides a separate authority
<br />for implementation of USDA Colorado River
<br />Salinity Control projects. Rules and regulations
<br />were published for the program on May 5, 1987,
<br />and funds for implementation were appropriated
<br />in fiscal year 1987. Public Law 98-569
<br />authorized the Secretary of Agriculture to
<br />(a) identify salt source areas and develop project
<br />plans for salinity control; (b) provide financial
<br />and technical assistance to land users to plan,
<br />install, and maintain salinity reduction
<br />practices, including voluntary replacement of
<br />incidental fish and wildlife values foregone,
<br />(c) conduct research, demonstration, and
<br />education activities, and (d) monitor and
<br />evaluate program effectiveness.
<br />
<br />To date, USDA implementation plans have been
<br />prepared for the Uinta Basin, Grand Valley,
<br />Lower Gunnison, McElmo Creek, Mancos
<br />Valley, Moapa Valley, Virgin Valley, and Big
<br />Sandy salinity control projects. Ajoint salinity
<br />control plan is presently being prepared by SCS
<br />and Reclamation for the Price San-Rafael area
<br />
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