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. . , 13, Public Law 104-20 authorizes Reclamation to spend an additional $75 million for innovative projects designed to control salinity, A main goal ofthe new program is to move away from large, expensive government construction projects, toward an open competitive process. The cost of past salinity control efforts has been about $70 per ton. Privately sponsored proposals awarded through the proposal process initiated in 1996 and 1997 have ranged between $20 to $35 per ton. Because of this great success and the need for more controls, the President's budget includes $12 million in 1999 for the salinity program, The Basin States will contribute about $5 million raising the total funding for Reclamation's part of the program to $17 million in 1999. As we agreed in March, I prepared a letter to Congress supporting the increase in the federal authorization ceiling for Reclamation's portion of the program. However, we are still holding that letter until the proposed legislation is introduced. Glen Canyon Dam Water Release Temperature Modification EIS Comment Period Extended: Reclamation extended the public comment period the draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for its proposed temperature control modifications to April 30, 1999. The draft EA examines the feasibility of modifying the dam's intake structures to allow warmer water to be released from the dam downstream to the benefit of native and endangered fish in the Colorado River. Reclamation has successfully designed and operated temperature modification devices on other large dams including Flaming Gorge Dam in Utah, Hungry Horse Dam in Montana, and Shasta Dam in California, The draft EA is also being evaluated by a scientific Peer Review Team at the request of several Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG) members. Ruedi Reservoir contract: As we agreed in March, Randy Seaholm sent a letter regarding provisions of the draft contract Reclamation is currently preparing, We received a revised contract from Reclamation this morning and will review it immediately. Gunnison River Basin National Park Service Reserved Water Rights proposal: The National Park Service (NPS) is proposing to quantify its federal reserved water rights for flow in the Gunnison River through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. The NPS filed for rights in 1971, but the case was not settled until 1978. The subsequent Colorado Supreme Court decision, u.s. v. Denver, was issued in 1983, decreed the stream flow rights to protect and preserve the National Monument, but the amounts have remained undefined (the reserved right has an appropriation date of March 2,1933, when the Black Canyon National Monument was formed). The NPS seeks to restore a natural hydro graph and has summarized its needs as follows: . minimum base flow of 300 cfs or more (to ensure survival of aquatic life) . annual peak between May I-June 30, 3-14 days in duration, 3500-12,000 + cfs flow and ramping rates of 250-500 cfs per day or 10% per day. Shoulder flows on each side of peak. Given these flow needs, the U.S, Park Service has formalized its proposal as follows: . all flow unappropriated as of March 2, 1933, . subordinated to water rights prior to 11/13/1957 (co-equal with the Aspinall water rights) and . the same subordination to future depletions in-basin, upstream from Crystal Dam, as the Aspinall water right (i.e" 60,000 AF/year), . The NPS proposal recognizes that Congress approved the Aspinall Project storage and power rights while being fully aware of the adjacent National Monument and proposes to make their rights co-equal to the Aspinall water rights, The NPS proposal also recognizes Reclamation's contractual position in subordinating water rights to allow 60,000 AF/year of 8