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<br />c_, <br />< ~" <br /> <br />1) Identify salt-source areas and determine the salt load <br />resulting from irrigation and watershed management <br />practices; <br /> <br />/:, <br />.<~ <br />t, <br />'- <br /> <br />2) Develop, with consultation, plans to reduce salt loads by <br />improving management of onfarm irrigation water and related <br />laterals and by improving watershed erosion management <br />practices--such measures to include voluntary replacement <br />of incidental fish and wildlife values foregone; <br /> <br />':-;', <br />"-< <br />,)~ <br />~ <br /> <br />~~) <br /> <br />", <br /> <br />3) Provide technical and cost-sharing assistance for the <br />voluntary implementation of plans through contracts and <br />agreements with individuals, groups, local governments, and <br />nongovernmental entities. <br /> <br />4) Provide continuing technical assistance for irrigation <br />water management, as well as monitoring and evaluating <br />changes in salt contribution to the Colorado River; <br /> <br />.',. <br /> <br />5) Carry out related research, demonstration, and educational <br />activities; <br /> <br />-" <br /> <br />6) Enter into contracts or agreements pursuant to <br />Section 202(c)(2)(c) of the Act. <br /> <br />.,! <br /> <br />"Section 303 of the Clean Water Act" requires adoption of water quality <br />standards applicable to interstate waters. The Act's objective is "to <br />restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of <br />the Nation's waters" (Section 101), and the Administrator of EPA is <br />required, in cooperation with other federal, state, and local agencies, <br />"to develop comprehensive programs for preventing, reducing, or eliminating <br />the pollution of navigable waters and ground waters (Section 102a)." <br /> <br />",.; <br /> <br />The seven states of the Colorado River Basin acting through the Colorado <br />River Basin Salinity Control Forum developed and agreed upon basinwide <br />water quality standards for salinity, including numeric criteria and a <br />plan of implementation for salinity control in 1975 (1975 Forum Report). <br />Each of the Basin-adopted water quality standards was subsequently <br />approved by EPA. The 1975 report described the rationale for the <br />selection of the criteria stations. <br /> <br />In response to "Section 303(c) of the Clean Water Act," the Forum in <br />1978 reviewed the standards. The Forum determined that these 1975 <br />criteria were appropriate. The Forum also reviewed and modified <br />the plan of implementation in 1978. Appropriate documents were adopted <br />by the states. <br /> <br />Again, in 1981, the Forum in response to Section 303(c) reviewed the <br />criteria and determined that the 1975 criteria are still appropriate. <br />The numeric criteria are: <br /> <br />Below Hoover Dam <br />Below Parker Dam <br />Imperial Dam <br /> <br />723 mg/L <br />747 mg/L <br />879 mg/L <br /> <br />CJ1L..G <br /> <br />1-2 <br /> <br />~ <br />