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<br />.' <br /> <br />(, r ;:. ~ ') J <br />\)L_O~~ <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The Basin states' concern with the River's increasing salinity <br />led them to create the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum in <br />1973. The Forum, whose members are appointed by the governors of the <br />respective states, developed a salinity control pOlicy that stated that <br />while the Basin states continue to develop their compact- apportioned <br />waters, salinity concentrations must be maintained at or below those <br />levels found in the lower River in 1972. This salinity control <br />obj ective is the Basin states' adopted, EPA-approved water quality <br />standard for the Colorado River, The standard was adopted pursuant to <br />the Clean Water Act. The policy forms the basis for the cooperative <br />federal/state, Basin-wide salinity control plan. The Forum has a <br />continuing responsibility to see that a salinity control plan is <br />implemented to meet the policy objectives. <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />After discussions involving the Federal Government, the Republic <br />of Mexico, and the seven Colorado River Basin states, the Congress <br />enacted in 1974 the Forum-sponsored Colorado River Basin Salinity <br />Control Act (P.L, 93-320), Title I of the Act established a program <br />to reduce the salt concentrations below Imperial Dam (the last <br />diversion point on the Colorado River in the United States), so that <br />the United States could honor its 1973 agreement on Colorado River <br />salinity with Mexico. Title I was identified by Congress as a federal <br />commitment. The Act established a program, Title II, which allowed the <br />States and the Federal Government to work together to prevent salinity <br />increases in the Colorado River above Imperial Dam, benefitting users <br />in the United States as well as Mexico. The 1974 Act also created a <br />Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council, composed of <br />gubernatorial representatives of the Basin states to advise the <br />Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture and the Administrator~f <br />the Environmental Protection Agency as to needed annual adjustments to <br />the salinity control effort, ~~c~ <br /> <br />In 1984 the Congress enacted much-needed amendme~o the 1974 <br />Act, In response to issues first raised by the Forum.. The amendments <br />resulted in Public Law 98-569, which authorized additional Department <br />of the Interior and Department of Agriculture activities needed to meet <br />the objectives of the 1974 Act, In recognition of the proven cost- <br />effectiveness of Agriculture's onfarm management activities in <br />controlling river salinity in the Basin, a separate Colorado River <br />Basin onfarm management salinity control program was authorized for the <br />Department of Agriculture. <br /> <br />Consistent with the newly enacted amendments and in working with <br />Agriculture, the Advisory Council made specific recommendations in its <br />1990 Annual Report relative to FY 92 funding for the salinity control <br />efforts. The funding level as needed by the Department of Agriculture <br />and recommended by the Council to maintain salinity concentrations at <br />or below the adopted salinity standards is the amount the Forum is now <br />requesting, <br /> <br />Jack A. Barnett <br />Executive Director <br /> <br />.., <br />