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002333 . . WATER QUALITY Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum Reclamation's Basinwide Salinity Control Program Representative Chris Cannon (R-UT), on July 27, 1999, introduced H,R. 2619 to increase the ceiling limit of Reclamation's Basinwide Salinity Control Program from $75 million to $175 million. On October 21,1999, Mr. Jack Barmett attended the hearing in Washington D.C. and presented testimony, on behalfofthe seven Basin States, in support of the program. I am glad to report that the legislation (H,R. 2619) has finally been scheduled for mark-up in the House on Thursday, May II ,h at 2:00 p.m. Similar legislation (S, 1211) was passed in the Senate on October 21, 1999, Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum Meeting in Price, Utah The Forum is scheduled to hold its spring meeting on Wednesday, May 24th in Price, Utah, On May 23'd, Forum members will be taken on a day-long bus tour of the salinity control efforts in the Price-San Rafael area to observe the efforts of Reclamation, USDA, BLM, and the Basin States Parallel Program, In the Price-San Rafael Environmental Impact Report, it was estimated that 430,000 tons of salt annually reached the Colorado River from these two river basins. The preferred alternative identified projects that could reduce the salt loading 160,000 tons/year, To date, projects either completed or in progress will reduce the salt load by 96,400 tons/year, Advisory Council Report Included in the Board folder is a copy of the 1999 Annual Report on the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program prepared by the Forum's Advisory Council. This report is prepared pursuant to the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of 1974 in which the Advisory Council is charged with providing advice and recommendations to the federal agencies concerning the Advisory Council's determination of the progress of the salinity control program and the need for specific actions of the salinity control program. The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of 1974 requires that the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council issue this report on an annual basis. In order to fulfill that obligation, the Advisory Council meets and receives various reports from the federal agencies involved in salinity control activities, and makes recommendations to them regarding appropriate methods for controlling the salinity of the Colorado River. Federal agencies will be in attendance at the May 24'h meeting and will be prepared to present their comments on the report, ~- -f/~'- - -r<--' ~ ~~ ~_~..._ ~A ~ ~ Gerald R, Zimmerman Executive Director 5