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<br />A vartnerinC/ effort <br /> <br />The Colorado River Basin Saliniry Conrrol Program is a parrnership <br />effort between agriculture producers. federal agencies and the seven <br />Colorado River Basin states, Colorado River water users in each of <br />rhe Srates and the Forum. Collectively, the programs are reducing the <br />amount of salt in the River while water uses continue to increase. <br /> <br />The Forum <br />The Colorado River Basin Salinity Comrol Forum provides importam <br />interstate and interagency coordination and guidance for the Program <br />and the combined efforts of the federal agencies and states. The <br />Governor of each of the seven Colorado River Basin states appoints up <br />to three Forum members. <br /> <br />Basin States <br />Funds are collected and used [Q provide the 30 percem up-from COSt <br />share contributed by the Basin states for the Bureau of Reclamation <br />and USDA programs. <br /> <br />, <br />. <br /> <br />,:~~" , '::,~i""j; ;.,;'):' '>;,'_, ,j;, I ll~,~ 'l;,"~:~" "\;- I . <br />~~dT"'>-_~;';~~"'l4.~~!t::--~.,--,;-+...1 <br />. " #,' .......":t':':'J;...;n.y -'~'''',..A <br />..-. -',.- -. ------ -.- <br /> <br />:'''-' ;"-~,>Ji"i+~\P)~u,,:~ <br />~~,~~.:,;j <br />.~~~; " <br /> <br />---:..:....,.-. -...-.....-.. <br /> <br />~ejl~I..~, ~_ ~~.--:- .._ <br />1t-.. . <br />. . ,-'. '- <br />,( . <br /> <br />- ,. I.'" .... -t; '- <br />. ~. ~........... ~ ....... - ..< --'.1. ... .. ' , .. <br />.- '.'~, ......... f1'..'oI,.,'~.'. .',~." :.......''-9:ii.'~ <br />. -.i~, ~~i!.:!;.tt; ~""""" <br /> <br />Improved irrigation systems reduce the amount of leaching in the soil. This reduces <br />the amount of salt that moves through the soil. into the water table. Less salt <br />moving through the soil, means less salt will end up in the Colorado River system. <br /> <br />USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service <br />USDA provides financial cost.sharing assistance to agriculture <br />producers who voluntarily implemem land management and irrigadon <br />practices that reduce salt loading. Agriculture producers panicipating <br />in these effons are provided incentive payments but are required to <br />contribute at least 25 percent of the cost of the measures installed <br />ro reduce salt loading. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation <br />Service (NRCS) also provides technical assistance to producers to <br />plan. design and install more efficient irrigation systems and to <br />implemem other land management practices. Improved irrigadon <br />systems result in more efficient water use and reduce the movement <br />of salt from saline shale deposits that underlie the soil throughout the <br />Colorado River Plateau. Therefore, less salt ends up in the Colorado <br />River system. <br /> <br />USDI Bureau of Reclamation <br />The Bureau of Reclamation constructed several types of salinity <br />control projects under authorities provided in the 1974 Act and <br />its 1984 amendments. Reclamation and the Forum in 1994 <br />concluded that the existing approaches were limiting salinity control <br />opportunities. In 1995, the Act was amended to authorize an entirely <br />new way of implementing salinity control, known as Reclamation's <br />Basinwide Salinity Concrol Program. This new program iniciated <br />competition for funding through a public proposal solicitacion process <br />and has greatly reduced the cost of salinity control measures <br />accomplished by Reclamation-funded projects. The 1995 Program <br />was authorized to spend $75 million. In recognition of the merits of <br />the Basinwide program approach, in 2000 the Congress authorized <br />an additional $100 million of appropriations. Many of the Basinwide <br />program measures have reduced canal seepage, all of which allows less <br />salt to find its way to the River. <br /> <br />USDI Bureau of Land Management <br />The Bureau of Land Managemenr (BLM) was directed by Congress <br />in the 1984 amendments to the Salinity Control Act to implement <br />a comprehensive program to reduce salt loading to the Colorado <br />River System. Nearly 40 percent of the Basin area is public lands <br />administered by BLM. Salt retention is achieved through effons to: <br />minimize the impacts of grazing, protect riparian areas, reduce off-road <br />vehicle impacts, conduct prescribed burns, plug orphaned wells. and <br />generally manage vegetative cover and reduce erosion on public lands. <br />In Utah and Colorado for example, salt controls have been created <br />by establishing riparian pasture and off-channel livestock watering <br />practices. <br /> <br />Through better use of land and water resources, there are many <br />additional opportunities for the BLM to reduce salt delivery to the River. <br />