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<br />II: <br />I <br /> <br />2. Rural Clean Water Program (RCWP) as authorized in the Agriculture, <br />Rural Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 1980 (PL <br />96-108) <br /> <br />The Rural Clean Water Program, a voluntary program for applying best <br />management practices on privately owned rural land in eligible project <br />areas, is designed to reduce agricultural pollutants thus improving water <br />quality in rural areas to meet water quality standards or goals. The <br />program provides financial and technical assistance to private landowners <br />and operators. Financial assistance is limited to 50 percent of the cost of <br />applying Best Management Practices with a maximum federal cost-share of <br />$50,000 per participant. <br /> <br />3. The Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (PL 566 - 83rd <br />Congress) <br /> <br />This Act authorizes a program by which USDA provides technical and <br />financial assistance to local watershed groups willing to assume responsi- <br />bility for initiating, carrying out and sharing the costs of projects for <br />upstream watershed protection, irrigation water management or flood control. <br />Technical assistance includes helping to plan and install proj ect measures. <br /> <br />Recommendations for Implementation <br /> <br />The implementation program needed to significantly reduce salt loading <br />requires accelerated application of conservation practices pertinent to <br />salinity control and the cooperative effort of federal, state and local <br />agencies, and private organizations. To achieve full potential reduction, <br />two condi~ions must be satisfied. First, recommended irrigation water <br />management practices must be followed to a high degree of precision; and, <br />second, all recommended improvements in the irrigation system must be <br />installed. <br />Nine actions have been identified as being essential to a successful <br />implementation program. These are: <br /> <br />1. Authorize a continuing level of federal funding that provides incentive <br />for voluntary and continued part1c1pat10n ot the farm operators to <br />achieve early completion of the recommended plan to reduce salinity. <br /> <br />2. Establish a local salinity control coordinating committee and follow <br />implementation priorities established by that committee consistent with <br />objectives of the salinity control program so those areas contributing <br />the highest salt load will be treated first. <br /> <br />3. Provide increased technical assistance by SCS through the Dolores Soil <br />Conservation District and by the ASCS county office to service the <br />accelerated work load. This includes providing onfarm irrigat.ion water <br />management followup assistance. <br /> <br />4. Develop a~nservation plan for management of complete resource systems <br />including an environmental evaluation for each farm~ The conservation <br />plan will identify conservation practices consistent with established <br />priorities for salinity control and will reflect the owner's decisions <br />for making improvements to meet his objectives as well as objectives <br />for the salinity control program. <br /> <br />1-6 <br /> <br />001811 <br />