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<br />The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of 1974 (Public Law <br />93-320) provided the means to comply with United states obligations to Mexico <br />which included as a major feature a desalting plant and brine discharge canal. <br />These facilities will enable the United States to deliver water to Mexico <br />~ having an average salinity no greater than 115 parts per million (ppm) + 30 <br />~ ppm (United States' count) over the annual average salinity of the Colorado <br />~ River at Imperial Dam. The act also authorized construction of 4 salinity <br />~ control units and the expedited planning of 12 other salinity control projects <br />above Imperial Dam as part of the basinwide salinity control plan. <br /> <br />In 1984, the Forum reviewed the salinity standards which were <br />adopted by all of the 7 Basin States and recommended the construction of 3 of <br />the 4 salinity control units and 10 of the 12 projects identified in the 1974 <br />act, the placing of effluent limitations on industrial and municipal <br />discharges, and the reduction of the salt loading effects of irrigation return <br />flows. The plan also called for the inclusion of water quality management <br />plans to comply with Section 208 provisions after the adoption of the plans by <br />the States and approval by EPA. It also contemplated the use of saline water <br />for industrial purposes and future salinity use control methods. <br /> <br />Public Law 98-569, signed October 30, 1984, amends Public Law <br />93-320. The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act, as now amended, <br />provides the authority for the pursuit of salinity control measures, primarily <br />by the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture, that will <br />allow for the necessary salinity controls on the river to be put in place <br />through the year 2000. It will insure, if implemented, compliance with the <br />numeric criteria at least through the year 2005. <br /> <br />The 1974 act has required that there be repayment for the units <br />authorized in Public Law 93-320 in the amount of 25 percent over 50 years <br />without interest. Public Law 98-569 directs the Secretary of Agriculture to <br />target for 30 percent local cost sharing for the implementation of on-farm <br />improvement programs. Additionally, 30 percent of the balance of the <br />Department of Agriculture'S cost-share program and 30 percent of the costs of <br />the Department of the Interior's newly authorized programs will be reimbursed <br />to the Federal treasury from the Upper and Lower Basin Funds. <br /> <br />C. <br /> <br />Participants in the Salinitv Control Prnarnm <br />.... - - - - - - oJ - __n <br /> <br />Reclamation was delegated the coordinating role for the Secretary of <br />the Interior; and the Chief, Colorado River Water Quality Office, was <br />appointed the designated salinity control liaison officer for the Department <br />of the Interior. As liaison officer, he coordinates the overall salinity <br />control program with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the <br />Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Colorado River Basin Salinity <br />Control Advisory Council, and the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum <br />(Forum) . <br /> <br />In 1985, a USDA Basin Coordinator position was established to assist <br />in carrying out the Colorado River salinity program. The position is <br />responsible for coordination and evaluation of USDA salinity control <br />activities in the Basin. The Coordinator, headquartered at the Bureau of <br />Reclamation, Colorado River Water Quality Office in Denver, Colorado, is the <br />primary point of contact between the Reclamation and USDA agencies. The <br />coordinator is also responsible for providing salinity control program <br /> <br />1-4 <br />