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<br />B.259297 <br /> <br />(,lo.) <br />, -, <br />_11 <br />Ul <br />-.:l <br /> <br />salinity levels for the same period at the other two monitoring stations, in <br />relation to their established limits, followed a similar pattern. <br /> <br />According to Interior's January 1993 report, natural variations in the <br />Colorado River, due to highly variable runoff and flows, cause salinity <br />levels to vary significantly. The salinity control program is not intended to <br />counteract the salinity fluctuations that result from the highly variable <br />runoff and flows caused by climatic conditions, precipitation, snowmelt, <br />and other natural factors. Rather, the program is designed to offset the <br />effects of development, even as salinity varies from year to year in <br />response to the climatic and hydrologic conditions. Salinity program <br />reports concluded that, with the completion of the existing and planned <br />control projects, salinity levels should remain at or below the criteria <br />levels beyond the year 2010. Without these additional salinity control <br />projects, according to BaR'S projections, the salinity levels at Imperial Dam <br />would exceed the established limits by about the year 2000, with steadily <br />increasing levels thereafter. <br /> <br />Agency Comments <br />and Our Evaluation <br /> <br />As requested, we did not obtain written comments from the agencies <br />included in our review. We did, however, discuss the data included in this <br />report with officials from BaR, BLM, USDA, EPA, and the Colorado River Basin <br />Salinity Control Forum: <br /> <br />. Officials from BaR'S Upper Colorado Region (in Salt Lake City): the <br />Regional Director; the Manager of the Resources Management Division; <br />and the Program Manager, Colorado River Salinity Control Program. <br />. Officials from BLM'S Denver Service Center: the BLM Senior Management <br />Representative for the Colorado River Salinity Program and the BLM <br />Technical Coordinator for the Colorado River Salinity Control Program. <br />. Officials from USDA'S headquarters (in Washington, D.C.): the Director, <br />USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly the Soil <br />Conservation Service); the USDA Salinity Program Coordinator, Natural <br />Resources Conservation Service; the Director of Conservation and <br />Environmental Protection Division, USDA Consolidated Farm Service <br />Agency (formerly the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service); <br />and the USDA Salinity Control Program Manager. <br />. Officials from EPA'S Region VIII (in Denver): the Chief, Water Quality <br />Branch, and the EPA Region VIII Salinity Coordinator. <br />. The Executive Director of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control <br />Forum (in Bountiful, Utah). <br /> <br />Page 16 <br /> <br />GAOIRCED.95.58 Salinity Control Projects In the Colorado River Basin <br />