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<br />I,' ) "') \):) <br />,u_... <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />WATER QUALITY <br /> <br />Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum <br /> <br />As I reported last month, the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum (Forum) held its <br />spring meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah on May 20, 1997. At the meeting, I was elected chairman <br />for the next two years and Mr. Jeff Fassett from Wyoming was elected vice-chairman. <br /> <br />At the meeting, there was discussion concerning the new Environmental Quality Incentive <br />Program (EQIP) and its funding mechanism. The Salinity Control Program as we knew it has now <br />been folded into the EQIP with no specific funds allocated to salinity control. Each states <br />conservationist designates where the funds will be spent. The Forum supported a resolution <br />approving up front cost-sharing in FY 97 for "historic" salinity control programs. The Work Group <br />was delegated the responsibility of investigating the criteria used by each of the state <br />conservationist's to allocate 1997 EQIP funds to projects within their priority areas and of <br />determining if the Forum were to provide up front cost-share funding, would it encourage the use <br />ofEQIP funds for cost effective removal of salt from the River. <br /> <br />On May 21 st, Mr. Spencer participated in a states ranking committee meeting to review ten <br />Basin Wide Salinity Control Proposals in response to Reclamations Request for Proposals. The <br />Committee reviewed each of the proposals and recommended that Reclamation initiate the <br />negotiation process with two of the finalists. If successful, these two projects will remove <br />approximately 29,000 tons of salt annually. <br /> <br />On June 9-10, Mr, Spencer participated in a Forum Work Group meeting with representatives <br />from Reclamation, the BLM, and various state conservationists to review the individual criteria each <br />state developed for allocating FY 97 EQIP funds within their area of responsibility. The state <br />conservationists were infonned that for FY 97, the Forum was willing to cost-share up to 30 percent <br />of a contract if the cost effectiveness of the salt removal were no higher than $60 per ton. It was the <br />conservationists opinion that this criteria could favorably influence the ranking of the proposals they <br />were currently reviewing and since the 1998 proposals are due within 45 days, they would infonn <br />the parties of the Forum's intent so as to make every effort in removing as much cost effective salt <br />as possible. <br /> <br />Included in the Board folder is a letter from Mr. David Trueman transmitting Reclamation's <br />biennial report on the salinity control program entitled" Quality of Water, Colorado River Basin, <br />Progress Report No. 18" dated January 1997. A copy of the entire report has been forwarded to you <br />via U.S. mail. <br /> <br />~~:3~__:.nr",~,~ <br /> <br />.-----Beral . Zimmennan <br />Executive Director <br /> <br />5 <br />