WSPC01025

• File Number: 8272
• Description: Colorado River - Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program - CRBSCP
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 3/14/1991
• Author: Jack A Barnett
• Title: Congressional Testimony - Executive Director Jack A Barnett - Presented Before Various House Subcommittees - RE - BOR-BLM-USDA
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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Control Forum finalized the triennial report to EPA required under
the Clean Water Act. That document, entitled the 1990 Review,
Water Quality Standards for Salinity, Colorado River System,
establishes a plan for salinity control in the Colorado River Basin
that is in agreement with federal agencies' findings as to needs
and recommended programs. These programs are required to maintain
state-adopted and EPA-approved water quality standards for the
River,

The Administration has requested that $40,194,000 be
appropriated in FY 92 to implement the needed and necessary
programs identified in that report for the Bureau of Reclamation.
The Forum had determined that an appropriation of $38,580,000 was
needed, After reviewing the President's budget and noting that
proposed funding would be spent in a slightly different way than
the allocation of funds in the budget proposed by the States, the
Forum has determined that it can support the President's request,
The Basin States have re-examined all of the features needed to
control the salinity in the Colorado River, They have concluded
that the President's budget should allow Reclamation to implement
a program to do its part to ensure that degradation of the water
quality with respect to salinity of the Colorado River does not
occur and that total dissolved solid levels do not exceed the water
quality numeric criteria agreed to by the States and concurred upon
by EPA,

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'" Wi th respect to construction, the Basin States urge the
Congress to appropriate, as requested by the President, $16,371,000
for continuation of canal and lateral lining in the Grand Valley
of Colorado; $4,410,000 for the continuation of the construction
of facilities to dispose of salt brines in the Paradox Valley of
Colorado; $6,998,000 for construction in the Lower Gunnison area
of Colorado so that the winter stockwater supply can be placed in
pipelines; and $9,484,000 for salinity control features of the
Dolores project in southwestern Colorado.

The Forum supports the President's budget for plan
formulation. These funds should be used (1) for further analysis
of salinity control opportunities at several locations including
the Price-San Rafael Unit (Utah), the San Juan Unit (New Mexico),
and the Glenwood-Dotsero Unit (Colorado), (2) to examine the cost-
effectiveness of the overall program, and (3) to search for
opportunities to remove additional salts from nonpoint sources,

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It is noted that funds have been requested by Reclamation in
the portions of their budget related to operation and maintenance
and general administrative expenses. The Forum supports funding
levels that will ensure adequate operation and maintenance of
constructed salinity facilities and that would ensure the needed
coordination and technical support functions. It should be noted
that an opportunity has developed to work with private industry at
Glenwood Springs, Colorado, Industry is proposing to build a
cogeneration plant to produce electrical power from natural gas
and to extract salt from the saline springs. The Forum will

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