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<br /> <br />CHAPTER I - INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />W Purpose of Report <br />-...] <br />OJ This report is in response to Section 303 (c) of the Clean <br />vI Water Act of 1977 (Public Law 92-500 as amended by Public Law <br />95-217 and Public Law 100-4) referenced to in this report as th~ <br />Clean Water Act. <br /> <br />This report is written as a complete document, but contains <br />historical inforI)lation only for the 1987-90 period. Background <br />information regarding historical actions relative to the adoption <br />of salinity standards is contained in the 1975 report. The 1978, <br />1981, 1984, and 1987 reports contain information pertaining to the <br />1975-1978 period, 1978-81 period, 1981-84 period, and 1984-87 <br />period, respectively. <br /> <br />Section 303(c)(1) of the Clean Water Act requires that: <br />"The governor of a state or the state water pollution control <br />agency of such state shall from time to time (but at least <br />once each three-year period beginning with the date of <br />enactment of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act <br />Amendments of 1972) hold public hearings for the purpose of <br />reviewing applicable water quali ty standards and, as <br />appropriate, modifying and adopting standards. Results of such <br />review shall be made available to the Administrator." <br /> <br />This report, prepared by the seven-state Colorado River Basin <br />Salinity 'Control Forum (Fo:..um) ::.s a Review of the water quality <br />standards including numeric criteria and plan of implementation <br />previously developed and adopted by the Forum. This is the fifth <br />such Review prepared by the Forum. This Review includes the <br />modifications to the 1987 Forum Review and the July 1987 Supplement <br />that have become necessary as a result of changed conditions and <br />the availability of better information. <br /> <br />History and Background <br /> <br />In the 1960's and early 1970's, the seven Colorado River basin <br />states and representatives of the Federal Government discussed the <br />problem of increasing salinity levels in the lower reaches of the <br />Colorado River. In 1972, the Federal Government enacted the Clean <br />Water Act which mandated efforts to maintain water quality <br />standards in the United States. At the same time, Mexico and the <br />United States were discussing increasing salinity levels in <br />Colorado River water being delivered to Mexico. In 1974, with <br />Basin-state support, the Congress enacted the Coloradcr River Basin <br />Salinity Cr',trol Act (P.L. 93-320). Title I of that Act addresses <br />the United states' commitment to Mexico. <br /> <br />T~tle II ry=~ted a salinity control program for water quality <br />in the United States. Primary responsibility for the federal <br />program was given to the Secretary of the Interior, with the Bureau <br /> <br />1 <br />