WSP01897

• File Number: 8270.100
• Description: Colorado River Basin Water Quality/Salinity -- Misc Water Quality
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 1/1/1977
• Author: USDOI
• Title: Quality of Water - Colorado River Basin - Progress Report No. 8 - January 1977
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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HISTORY OF WATER RESOURCE DEVELOP~ENT

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The Basin States. in response to EPA's submittal of the proposed
requirements, and to discuss several other questions that had been
generated relative to certain sections of Public Law 92-500, met on
November 8 and 9, 1973, and among other things, fonned the "Colorado
River Basin Salinity Control Forum." A statement of position for use in
discussing the proposed requirements and procedures for salinity control
was adopted on November 9, 1973, and states in part:

"The States have established a mechanism for interstate
cooperation (Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum) and for
preparation and semiannual reports on the development of numeric
criteria and the adoption of such criteria by October 18, 1975."

The Forum members also at the November 8-9, 1973, meeting agreed to
request EPA that:

"

The Final statement on proposed water quality standards and
plan of implementation for salinity control should be con-
sistent for all seven States of the Colorado River Basin;
and opportunity should be provided for further direct dis-
cussion between representatives of the Environmental Pro-
tection Agency and the Forum before the proposed regulations
are published in the Federal Register.. "

Following the formulation of the Colorado River Basin Salinity
Control Forum. meetings were held with representatives of the EPA in
January, }~rch, and April 1974 to discuss the proposed regula~ion on
Colorado River Salinity.

The Environmental Protection Agency published a notice of proposed
amendments to (40 CFR Part 120) COLORADO RIVER WATER SYSTEX, Salinity
Control Policy and Standard Procedures in FR DOC 74-13683 dated June
12, 1974. After hearings in Las Vegas, ~evada. and Denver, Colorado, in
August 1974. the final regulation was published on December 18, 1974. in
the Federal Register. The regulation states that 40 eFR Part 120 is
amended by adding Section 120.5 Colorado River System Implementation
Plan, which reads as follows:

"(a)
River

'Colorado River System' means that portion of the Colorado
and its tributaries within the United States of America.

"(b) It shall be the policy that the flow weighted average
annual salinity in the lower main stem of the Colorado River
System be maintained at or below the average value found during
1972. To carry out this policy, water quality standards for
salinity and a plan of implementation for salinity control shall
be developed and implemented in accordance with the principles
of paragraph (c) of this section, on the follOwing page.

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