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.' ..... Q ~l (Xl . . HISTORY OF WATER RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (continued) brought on line, temporary increases above the criteria could result and these increases will be in conformance with the regulations. With com- pletion of control projects, those now in the plan or those to be added subsequently, salinity would return to or below the criterial level. Periodic increases above the criteria as a result of reservoir con- ditions or periods of below long-time average annual river flow also will be in conformance with the regulation. With satisfactory reservoir con- ditions and when river flows return to the long-time average annual flow or above, concentrations are expected to be at or below the criteria level. 3. Clean Water Act of 1977 Public Law 95-217, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1977, (commonly referred to as the Clean Water Act) includes among other things, several significant amendments which will have a bearing upon salinity control activities in the Colorado River Basin. It assures State authority to allocate rights to quantities of water. The Administrator of the EPA, after consultation with the States, is to submit a report to Congress which analyzes the relationship between programs of the Clean Water Act and the programs by which State and Federal agencies allocate quantities of water including recormnendations to improve coordination to reduce and eliminate pollution in conjunction with programs for managing water resources. The report was originally to have been submitted on or before July 1, 1978, however an elltension was granted. A draft report dated August 1979 entitled "Water Quality/Water Allocation Coordination Study" has been circulated for review and connnent. The Act also includes provisions to require that Section 208 plans consider return flows from irrigated agriculture. Irrigated agriculture return flows are excluded from the "point source" definition and are not subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits unless the individual States so desire. A new program was established under Section 208 to provide technical and financial assistance to landowners and operators in rural areas to implement area-wide management plans. Farmers may contract with the Department of Agriculture for cost sharing assistance to reduce agri- cultural runoff if the measures proposed are part of the 208 "best manage- ment practices." The Federal share could be as high as 50 percent. Federal agencies may also receive funds for implementing approved 20B plans. Section 404 was modified to exempt normal farming, silviculture, and ranching activities from dredge and fill permit regulations. Federal act ivities speci fically authorized by Congress may be exempted from 404 permit requirements if an environmental impact statement, which has infor- mation on the effects of such discharge, is submitted to Congress before the actual discharge of dredged or f~ll material occurs. 22