Laserfiche WebLink
<br />~ <br />~~ <br />GO <br />00 <br /> <br />The 1974 Act pioneered the concept of basinwide salinity control. choosing the <br />most likely areas for salinity control (at the time) and authorizing them for <br />improvements. Although this concept afforded great savings over more <br />traditional regulatory approaches, it did not take the principle of <br />competition far enough or in a broad enough context. Our experience has <br />proven that unforseen opportunities to save costs and make the program more <br />effective are missed due to the lack of flexibility in Reclamation's <br />authorities. <br /> <br />Within most project areas there are a range of opportunities, some cost- <br />effective, others not. For example, experience in implementing the program <br />has shown that canal and lateral lining can be cost-effective in some areas <br />but not in others. Even within the same project area, there may be <br />significant variations in effectiveness. Reclamation was directed by the 1984 <br />amendments to implement cost-effective solutions, but was limited to the areas <br />and methods specifically authorized by the 1974 and 1984 Acts. With the <br />basinwide authority provided in the 1995 amendments, Reclamation can now <br />compete a much wider range of alternatives throughout the entire Colorado <br />River Basin. The broader the competition, the more effective the program <br />becomes. This extends greatly on the basinwide approach first attempted by <br />the 1974 Salinity Control Act. <br /> <br />12 <br />