WSP01110

• File Number: 8273.100.10
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control - Federal Agencies - Bureau of Reclamation
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 5/1/1995
• Title: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Project - Report on Public and Agency Review of the Program and Implementation Plan for the Basinwide Program - Discussion Draft
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

PUBLIC REVIEW

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The public review began on March 24, 1994 with a news release and individual
notices mailed to more than 400 entities including: Congressional
Representatives; members of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum;
Federal, State and local agencies; environmental organizations; and interested
parties. The notices stated Reclamation's purpose in conducting the review,
provided background on the salinity problem in the Colorado River Basin and
the current program for addressing those problems. 'The notices then suggested
eeveral optione regarding future operation of the Yuma Desalting Plant (Title
I) and the ealinity control program in the United States (Title II). The
notices solicited new and innovative ideas which would help improve the
effectiveneee of the program and take advantage of opportunities which were
not envieioned 20 years ago. In order' to facilitate the review process and
identify opportunities for changs as quickly ae poseible, review comments were
requested within a 30-day period, Attachment 1 is a summary of the comments
received~

Public Notice

The following baCkground information pertaining to the Title II program wae
provided in the public notics:

The goal of Title II of the Salinity Control Act of 1974, as amended in 1984,
was to control salinity for water users in the United States using a basinwide
approach to implement the most cost-effective controls poseible. Since 1974,
Reclamation has spent an average of $15 million per year in studying, ranking
effectiveness, and implementing salinity control measures.

When completed in the next few years, Reclamation'S portion of the program
will have spent about $301 million to prevent 466,300 tons of salt per year
from reaching the river. The damages reduced by the elimina.tion of the salt
are estimated at $334 per ton, totalling $156 million per year, consisting of
$115 million to M&I water users and $41 million to agricultural users in the
United States. The impacts to water users in the Republic of Mexico have not
been analyzed.

The Secretary is required to allocate the total cost, including costs borne by
non-Federal participants, of Reclamation's portion of Title II. Under current
law, between 70 and 75 percent of the total costs of construction, operation,
and maintenance would be the responsibility of the Federal Government, leaving
25 to 30 percent for the States to pay.

Non-Federal interests will repay, from basin fund power revenues, $78 million
of the total Reclamation portion of the Federal costs. The current rate of
repayment is about $5 million per year, but this will increase as units are
completed. To date, non-Federal interests have repaid $13,199,425 (an
additional $18,795,000 has been prepaid) .

Reclamation's portion of Title II of the Salinity Control Act was primarily
construction related. EXperience has shown that these costs can be
significantly reduced and effectiveness increased by working cooperatively
with water users and other Federal agencies. In an innovative approach to
construction, local water users were funded (70-percent Federal share/30-
percent State share) to deeign and construct the Lower Gunnison Basin Unit.
The results of thie construction program show that local districts can reduce
the Federal cost of construction by as much as 40 percent. In another case;
the cost-effectiveness of the proposed Price-San Rafael Rivers Onit was
improved from $106 to $39 per ton by combining the strengths of two programs

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