PUB00100

• Year: 1992
• Title: An Analysis of Water Salvage Issues in Colorado
• Author: CWCB
• Description: An Analysis of Water Salvage Issues in Colorado
• Publications - Doc Type: Water Resource Studies

USBR salinity improvements are federally funded in recognition that the delivery of
water to Mexico is a nationwide obligation and because the federal government owns a
major portion of the saline land in the basin, A 25-30% repayment on USBR salinity
project costs is made to the federal treasury from two basin funds which receive it surcharge
from federally generated power revenues, Local project participants make no direct
payment for the construction of USBR salinity improvements. While they are required to
sign contracts obligating themselves to maintain and operate the newly improved systems,
USBR fully reimburses participants for any additional maintenance expenses attributable
to those new systems, The SCS program requires both cost sharing by each individual
participant and repayment from the same electric surcharge fund used to repay the USBR.
The final cost share breakdown for SCS on-farm measures is: 30% by local participants,
21% by power revenues and 49% by the U.S, There is no requirement tying participation
in the USBR program to participation in the SCS program. A farmer can be in the salinity
program without committing to expend any funds or making anyon-farm changes,

Importantly, the salinity program makes no claim to any saved or salvaged water
produced through the program, The fate of any produced water is left for allocation under
state law, Specifically, "in implementing the units ... the Secretary shall comply with
procedural and substantive state water laws," 43 U.S,c. Section 1592(b)(4), (1984
Amendment),

Finally, as federal agencies USBR and SCS have statutory duties to mitigate, to varying
degrees, the environmental impacts caused by improved irrigation systems, These impacts
are explained in Section V.D, below,

B, Other Federal Programs

Despite an apparent belief that "federal programs" would limit salvage proposals to the
West Slope there are in fact a number of ways in which federal programs could result in
water salvage or savings throughout the state,

1. Clean Water Act

The Clean Water Act (CWA) led to creation of an extensive system of water quality
standards for the nation's surface waters, 33 U.S,c. 1313, These standards are designed
to preserve and improve the chemical, biological, and physical quality of water for the
benefit of all water users, Water quality programs in Colorado are administered by the
Colorado Department of Health (CDOH) with the approval and assistance of the U,S,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), The primary enforcement mechanism is the
National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit which all municipal and
industrial water users must obtain, Waste water from a discrete or "point source" must be
treated to acceptable levels before discharge into a receiving surface waterway, Although
agricultural water use does result in discharges to surface water (return flows) these do not
occur at discrete points and control of these "nonpoint" discharges was specifically left out

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