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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />which may include river reclamation, to treat irrigation drainage water that flows into the Alamo <br />River and New River, Imperial County, California. <br />(b) COOPERATION- The Secretary shall implement subsection (a) in cooperation with the <br />Desert Wildlife Unlimited, the Imperial Irrigation District, California, and other interested <br />persons. <br />(c) PERMIT EXEMPTION- No permit shall be required under section 402 of the Federal Water <br />Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1342) for actions taken under subsection (a). . <br />(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- For river reclamation and other irrigation <br />drainage water treatment actions under this section, there are authorized to be appropriated to the <br />Secretary $2,000,000. <br /> <br />TITLE II--EMERGENCY ACTION TO STABILIZE SALTON SEA SALINITY <br />SEe. 201. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. <br />(a) FINDINGS- The Congress finds the following: <br />(1) High and increasing salinity levels in Salton Sea are causing a collapse of the Salton Sea <br />ecosystem. <br />(2) Ecological disasters have occurred in the Salton Sea in recent years, including the die-off <br />of 150,000 eared grebes and ruddy ducks in 1992, over 20,000 water birds in 1994, 14,000 <br />birds in 1996, including more than 1,400 endangered brown pelicans, and other major <br />wildlife die-offs in 1998. <br />(b) PURPOSES- The purpose of this title is to provide an expedited means by which the Federal <br />Government, in conjunction with State and local governments, will begin arresting the ecological <br />disaster that is overcoming the Salton Sea. <br /> <br />SEC. 202. EMERGENCY ACTION REQUIRED. <br />The Secretary shall promptly initiate actions to reduce the salinity levels of the Salton Sea, <br />including-- <br />(1) salt expulsion by pumping sufficient water out of the Salton Sea prior to December 1, 1998, <br />to accommodate diversions under paragraph (2); and <br />(2) diversion into the Salton Sea of water available as a result of high-flow periods in late 1998 <br />and early 1999. <br />