Laserfiche WebLink
<br />" <br /> <br />CHAPTER 1 <br /> <br />'),' <br /> <br />PlmpOSE AND NEED FOR THIS ACTION <br /> <br />f'O.-- <br />}., <br /> <br />Colorado River Basin <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />The Colorado River system naturally carries a large load of salts <br />(dissolved solids) and suspended sediment. Streamflow depletions <br />resulting from transbasin diversions and for irrigation. municipal, and <br />industrial uses significantly reduce the supply of water available for <br />dilution of salt loads in the lower river system. In recent years, <br />salinity concentrations in the Colorado River have adversely affected <br />downstream irrigated crop production and other uses of the water. The <br />problem is especially severe for water delivered to California, Arizona, <br />and Mexico. The problem is so severe that the United States is <br />committed by agreement with Mexico to maintain salinity at a specific <br />level for water arriving at the Mexican border. Minute 242 of the <br />United States' agreement with Mexico states that water delivered to <br />Mexico will be no more than 115 ! 30 mg/L above the water arriving at <br />Imperial Dam. It is in the national interest to continue efforts to <br />meet this goal. <br /> <br />r:- <br />, <br />. <br /> <br />.t-.>-! <br /> <br />r~ <br /> <br />!"~~- <br />k <br /> <br />Recognition of this water quality problem in the region has caused a <br />number of studies to be made since about 1960. The Colorado River Basin <br />Water Quality Control Project was established in 1960 by the Division of <br />Water Supply and Pollution Control, U.S. Public Health Service. Studies <br />by the EPA (1971) produced a series of reports on "The Mineral Quality <br />Problem in the Colorado River Basin." Salinity in the river also is <br />documented by the Bureau of Reclamation (1971 and 1974) Status Reports; <br />Colorado River Water Quality Improvement Program Biannual Progress <br />Reports "Quality of Water, Colorado River Basin;" and U.S. Geological <br />Survey Professional Paper 441, "Water Resources of the Upper Colorado <br />River Basin - Technical Report" by Irons and others (1965). Section 201(c) <br />of P.L. 93-320 directs the Secretary of the Interior, the Administrator <br />of the EPA, and the Secretary of Agriculture to cooperate and coordinate <br />their activities effectively to carry out objectives of Title II of P.L. <br />93-320 as the basin states continue developing their compact apportioned <br />water. In addition, the Big Sandy River Unit is one of 16 irrigation <br />source control units listed in Section 203 of P.L. 93-320 for the <br />expeditious completion of a planning report as a means to implement the <br />salinity control policy adopted for the Colorado River. <br /> <br />~' ,." <br /> <br />;",-: <br /> <br />t"~' <br /> <br />t"1 <br />,",,', <br />~'-~' <br /> <br />[... <br /> <br />~',.., <br /> <br />Title II of P.L. 93-320 was amended in 1984. These amendments clarified <br />several issues important to USDA implementation, including: (J) inter- <br />agency cooperation, (2) expedition of planning reports; and (3) establish- <br />ment of a voluntary cooperative salinity control program with landowners, <br />units of government, and nongovernmental entities to improve onfarm <br />water management and reduced watershed erosion on nonfedera1 lands. <br /> <br />f,; <br /> <br />f.~ <br /> <br />r~-.,~ <br />"," ~ <br /> <br />r <br />r'.' <br />.~~ <br /> <br />A selected summary of items that shall be used by the Secretary of <br />Agriculture in carrying out such a program include: <br /> <br />1-1 <br /> <br />l!Jl1~j <br />