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<br />increase are required to conduct studies to demonstrate that meeting these standards is not <br />practicable. <br /> <br />Water Quality Manal:ement Plannlnl: <br /> <br />w::.. <br />~ <br />l\J <br />C..Q <br /> <br />In the Colorado River Basin of Colorado there are four water quality planning regions. <br />Opportunities for salinity control were identified in the management plans for all areas of the <br />Colorado River Basin within Colorado. Critical salt yielding areas were assessed by the USDA, <br />Colorado Soil Conservation Board and local soil conservation districts. All updated 208 plans <br />continue to contain lists of the NPDES permits within each area and stream classifications. <br /> <br />Region 9 covers primarily the San Juan Basin portion of Colorado. Salinity projects in this <br />area include McElmo Creek and portions of the Dolores Project. The Region 10 plan covers <br />primarily the Gunnison and Dolores River Basins. Salinity projects in this region include the <br />Lower Gunnison and Paradox Valley units. Region 11 includes the Colorado main stem below <br />Dotsero, and the lower reaches of the White and Yampa Rivers. The salinity control projects in <br />this region are Grand Valley, Glenwood-Dotsero and Meeker Dome. Region 12 is comprised <br />primarily of the high mountain headwaters of the Colorado River and produces little salt loading <br />to the river system. The updated Water Quality Management Plan for this region has been <br />certified by the state and submitted to EP A for approval. The regional plan directs salinity control <br />efforts towards control of point sources and local control of nonpoint sources in the form of urban <br />runoff restrictions. <br /> <br />Nonpolnt Source PrOl:ram <br /> <br />Pursuant to Section 319 of the amended (1987) Clean Water Act, Colorado developed a <br />"Nonpoint Source Assessment Report" which identified stream segments impacted by nonpoint <br />source pollution and categories of nonpoint source pollutants which added significant pollution to <br />those stream segments. The report also recognized the impacts caused by salinity from nonpoint <br />sources on several stream segments and principally attributed the elevated salinity levels in those <br />segments to agricultural activities (i.e. irrigation and soil erosion due to grazing). It further <br />recognized the significance of the salinity control efforts which have been made pursuant to the <br />Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of 1974. The assessment report also recognized the <br />need for development of best management practices (BMPs), to control nonpoint source pollution <br />and a handbook of BMPs was completed in May 1989, <br /> <br />The "Colorado Nonpoint Source Management Program" was completed by the State and <br />approved by EPA in May 1989. The program is intended to provide an implementation strategy <br />for the future treatment of water quality problems identified in the Assessment Report. The <br />program sets forth the roles and responsibilities of the various subcommittees; which include <br /> <br />5-4 <br />