WSP00967

• File Number: 8273.100
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control - Federal Agencies - Bureau of Reclamation
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 1/1/1983
• Author: DOI
• Title: Salinity Control Program Study Report and Recommendations
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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Option and Recommendation:

Establish an agency-level annual meeting of USDA and DOl representatives
(perhaps including Deputy. Commissione~ B~ Assistant Secretarie~
Regional Directors, and the Chief of CRWQO) to meet with the Forum work
group to establish priorities between agencies and States. Priority and
funding strategy can be discussed in a give-and-take atmosphere where
appropriate officials are present to make authoritative decisions on the
issues shared by the various entities.

Options available for addressing the questions of working level coordination
with SCS program include holding regular Water Quality Offic~ the Regional
Offic~ and SCS meetings at the local project or planning team level. The
lead responsibility for setting up working meetings with the SCS should be
the responsibility of the local project office.

Action Entity: Overview Committe~ Project Managers

COORDINATION WITH LOCAL ENTITIES

Priority: Low

Comments from external source~ representing State and local water user
viewpoints emphasized that Service involvement with irrigators and water
users in salinity control project areas needs attention. There is basic
misunderstanding over the extent of O&M costs that farmers or water users
will be held responsible for after project construction. Moreove~ farmers
in the Upper Basin view the salinity control program as an imposition of
Federal programs on their land wTthout local benefits to them. In some
cases, on-farm programs under SCS were not coordinated with Service systems
improvement programs causing some confusion to water users. .

Irrigation Management Service (IMS), optimization of water delivery
systems, R&B, and Water Conservation Programs are representative of other
programs that are being considered in Some salinity control project
areas. The integration and/or interface of salinity control projects
with these programs represents opportunities for generation of local
benefits to farmers and general program cost-sharing. Internal interviews
suggested that local support of salinity,control projects may be improved
if the programs are viewed from a total water management perspective.

Options:

A. Project offices and planning teams dealing with farmers and water
users directly on the local level need to improve public-involvement
measures and/or techniques. Joint meetings with the SCS and water users
to address issues such as agency implementation schedule~ O&M feature~
repayment contracts, and local benefits need to be scheduled early in the
planning process.