WSP01897 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

. . ~- IV ;.... Ch . HISTORY OF ~ATER RESO~RCE OEVELOPXE~T 1. Water Quality Act of 1965 and Related Developments. The Water Quality Act of 1965, Public Law 89-234. is an Act to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and establish a Federal Water Pollution Control Administration, to provide grants for research and development. to increase grants for construction of sewage treatment works, to require establishment of water quality criteria, and for other purposes. Section 5 of this Act requires States to adopt water quality criteria applicable to interstate waters or portions thereof within their boundaries by June 30. 1967. Each of the seven Basin States proceeded with actions directed toward establishment of water quality standards for interstate streams. Early in the standards setting process, it becomes apparent to the States that because of legal and institutional constraints combined with lack of technical knowledge of salinity control and management, it would be very difficult to establish numerical salinity standards on the Colorado River which would be workable, equitable, and enforceable. The seven Basin States subsequently developed water quality standards which did not include salinity standards. The "Seventh Enforcement Conference in the Xatter of Pollution of the Interstate Waters of the Colorado River and Its Tributaries" was held in Las Vegas (February 15-17, 1972) and Denver (April 26-27, 1972). The conferees, official representatives of the seven Basin States and the Environmental Protection Agency, unanimously adopted conclusions and recommendations pertaining to the salinity problems of the Colorado River. The conclusions and recommendations were approved by Mr. William D. Ruckelshaus, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in June 1972. the more significant conclusion being as follows: "I. It is recommended that: A salinity policy be adopted for the Colorado River system that would have as its objective the maintenance of salinity concentrations at or below levels pres- ently found in the lower main stem. In implementing the salinity policy objective for the Colorado River System, the salinity problem must be treated as a basinwide problem that needs to be solved to maintain Lower Basin water salinity at or below present levels while the Upper Basin continues to develop its compact- apportioned waters. "II. The Salinity control program as described by the Department of the Interior In their report entitled "Colorado River ~ater Quality Improvement Program," dated February 1972, offers the best prospect for implementing the salinity control objective adopted herein." 15