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<br />1999 ANNUAL REPORT <br /> <br />o <br />CO <br />~ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) <br />N <br /> <br />The salinity control program is primarily a nonpoint source water pollution control program. It is <br />perhaps the largest and most successful nonpoint source program in the United States. The Council <br />appreciates the efforts by the USEP A to support the program and would like to continue working <br />with the Regions to ensure the benefits of long term salinity reductions in the Colorado River. The <br />Council would also like to work with the USEP A to explore additional opportunities that would add <br />to the effectiveness of the program. Such opportunities might include having Regional <br />Administrators share program successes and encourage other federal agencies and Congress to <br />provide needed support and funding. The USEP A could help to ensure consistency with federal <br />agencies' actions and the Forum and states' nonpoint source programs. An example of this may be <br />actions by the Basin's largest land manager, the BLM. The USEP A could also help resolve disputes <br />that might arise regarding tribal water quality issues. It would be helpful for the USEP A to regularly <br />update the Council regarding federal efforts to develop water quality standards for and with the <br />Colorado River Basin tribes. The Council also appreciates the USEP A's role in resolving the ESA <br />Section 7 consultation issue raised in last year's report. <br /> <br />MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS <br /> <br />The Council's budget recommendations represent the required funding for the program to be <br />successful in maintaining salinity concentrations within the state-adopted and federally-approved <br />numeric criteria. The funding levels are consistent with and support the conclusions regarding the <br />funding required to accomplish the plan of implementation adopted by the Forum in its 1999 <br />Review, including the elimination of the current shortfall in salinity control. Unlike other federal <br />programs, the salinity control program provides a significant amount of non-federal cost sharing. The <br /> <br />COLORADO RIVER BASIN SALINITY CONTROL ADVISORY COUNCIL <br /> <br />15 <br /> <br />1 - <br />