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. HISTORY OF WATER RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT ~~ 1\J ~ '-" The conferees further suggested that the Bureau of Reclamation should have the primary responsibility for investigation, planning, and implement- ing the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program with the assistance of the Office of Saline Water and the Environmental Protection Agency at the Federal level. 2. The Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 The object of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 (Public Law 92-500) is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical. and biological integrity of the Nations waters. It declares that the national goals are to eliminate discharge of pollutants into navigable waters by 1985 with an interim goal of attaining by July 1983, water quality which provides for the protection and propogation of fish, shellfish. and wildlife and for recreation in and on the Nation's water. The Act authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency. after coopera- tion with other Federal agencies. State water pollution control agencies, interstate agencies and municipalities and industries involved, to prepare or develop comprehensive programs for preventing, reducing, or eliminating the pollution of the navigable waters and ground waters and improving the sanitary condition of surface and underground waters. . Some of the more important aspects of the Act briefly explained are as follows: The Act authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency to provide grants for research or demonstration projects and construction of treatment works to Federal Agencies, States, or private organizations. It also authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency to publish and revise from time to time, water quality criteria and to revise standards to include intrastate as well as interstate streams. The law also provides that by July I, 1977, the best practical water pollution control technology must be applied followed by the best available technology economically achievable by July I, 1983. Section 402 of the Act provides for the Governmental regulation of pollutant discharges through a mandatory permit program. monitoring. inspection. and periodic reporting. Section 404 requires those dischargers of fill or dredge material into a navigable stream to obtain a permit from the Corps of Engineers. Enactment of Public Law 92-500 introduced a new factor into the salinity problem. The legislation has been interpreted by EPA to require that numerical standards for salinity on the Colorado River be set. Consequently in November (1973) the EPA submitted to several of the Colorado River Basin States proposed requirements and procedures for Salinity Control of the Colorado River System and proposed the establishment of an interstate organization to develop a salinity control plan. . 16