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<br />eN <br />W <br />Co" <br />(>) <br /> <br />FUTURE ACTIONS <br /> <br />BLM Salinity Control Implementation Actions <br /> <br />Salinity control activities on public lands in the Colorado River basin are mandated by the <br />Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of 1974, as amended (p.L. 98-569). The Bureau of <br />Land Management recommends the following implementation actions be directed through its <br />Soil, Water, and Air Management programs. The objective is to minimize salinity <br />contributions to the Colorado River from public lands while recognizing multiple-use <br />objectives and authorized uses. Proper land use is the BLM-preferred method of achieving <br />salinity control while structural techniques for control will be limited. The planning process is <br />the principal mechanism for the implementation of salinity control actions. <br /> <br />1. All BLM resource areas within the Colorado River basin that contain saline soils will <br />identify and evaluate salinity control activities through the resource management planning <br />process. <br /> <br />2. Plans will address salinity control objectives in a way that enhances and benefits other <br />resource values, including soil stability, riparian resources, wildlife habitat, water quality <br />and supply, and flood control in the management of saline soils. <br /> <br />3. BLM will incorporate salinity control objectives or mitigation into all activity plans <br />involving saline soils. Environmental Assessments will analyze resource impacts to <br />detennine salinity increases or decreases resulting from proposed actions where saline <br />soils are included. <br /> <br />4. The BLM's planning process will evaluate salinity control benefits, effectiveness, and <br />costs associated with land management alternatives on all saline soils. <br /> <br />5. Where watershed conditions are unsatisfactory or severely degraded by past management <br />actions and the areas have good recovery potential which cannot be efficiently achieved by <br />modifying land uses that contribute to salt loading, BLM will consider other alternatives <br />such as mechnicalland treatments or minor structural methods to reduce salt loading. <br />Whenever possible, these alternatives will be designed to achieve self-sustaining resource <br />conditions requiring little or no future investment in mechanical treatments or structure <br />maintenance. <br /> <br />6. Point-source salinity issues will be identified in the planning process and controlled or <br />managed through resource improvement objectives or mitigative measures. Major sources <br />requiring extensive engineering will be brought to the attention of the Bureau of <br />Reclamation. <br /> <br />7. Continue to develop quantifiable values for sediment and salinity deliveries to the <br />Colorado River from public lands. <br /> <br />21 <br />