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<br />Equivalent which is a brief
<br />environmental statement in lieu of an
<br />EIR. Accordingly, with assistance from
<br />the Board's staff, thf> Statl' Watf>r
<br />Re'>Ourc~ Control Board prepared a
<br />Functional Equivalenl on the revised
<br />standards. Following a review and
<br />comment period, the Functional
<br />Equivall'nt to the EIR and the
<br />standards revi'!oion were approved by
<br />the State Water Resources Control
<br />Board.
<br />In December 1979, the Colorado
<br />River Basin Salinity Control Forum
<br />released its "Third Annual Progress
<br />Report-Water Quality Standards for
<br />Salinity-Colorado River System." The
<br />annual report presents summary
<br />information for the period October
<br />18, 1978-0ctober 18, 1979, on results
<br />achieved by the salinity control
<br />program and other actions in the
<br />Basin having an influence on salinity
<br />control. The report concluded that the
<br />federal salinity control program has
<br />fallen considerably behind schedule.
<br />However, since the rate of water
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<br />Unlined poniun 01 COI'ernmenl Hiphlirl('
<br />em,l/. GrJnd 1/.ltlel' S,ltinill Conlrol
<br />Proj"CI, ColorJdo.
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<br />development has been considerably
<br />slower than anticipated, and water
<br />conditions have been favorable,
<br />salinity concentrations at Imperial
<br />Dam were about 70 milligrams per
<br />liter below the numeric criteria during
<br />the year. The report further concludPd
<br />that it would be highly unlikely that
<br />the criteria will be excE'eded during
<br />the ensuing twelve-month period.
<br />
<br />ColorJdo River BJsin SJlinilY Control
<br />Program
<br />
<br />The Water and Po.....er Resources
<br />Service continued its efforts on the
<br />Colorado River salinity control
<br />projects and the Colorado River
<br />Water Quality Improvement Program
<br />in accordance with the Colorado
<br />River Basin Salinity Control Act of
<br />1974. P.l. 93-320. The [){'partment of
<br />Agricul1ure continued its active role in
<br />salinity control through its on-farm
<br />salinity control program which is
<br />undl'r way in the Grand Valley,
<br />Colorado, and the Uintah Basin, Utah.
<br />Salinity control effects are being
<br />studied by the Bureau of land
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<br />Management in an effort 10 reduce
<br />the salt contribution from the nation's
<br />public lands,
<br />Contract n€'Botialions continued
<br />between the Department of the
<br />Interior and the Grand Valley Water
<br />Users Association for the operation
<br />and mainlenance of the Grand Valley
<br />SalinilY Control Unit by the
<br />Association. A Question that prolonged
<br />the negotialions concerned the
<br />applicability of reclamation taw to
<br />salinity control projects, which would
<br />have brought the project under that
<br />law's acreage limitations. Another
<br />difficult question was whether to
<br />impose penalty charges for excess
<br />uses of water. When executed, the
<br />contract will set a precedent for future
<br />ope-rations and maintenance contracts
<br />on those salinity control units that
<br />involve improvement of irrigation
<br />systems and lands.
<br />The Department of Agriculture's
<br />on.farm salinity control program,
<br />initiated in Grand Valley, Colorado, in
<br />1979, has been widely accepted by
<br />farmers in the Valley. The
<br />federal-local cost-share program,
<br />which divides the cost with 75
<br />percenl as the federal share and 25
<br />percent a'!o the local share, is designed
<br />to reduce the salt load through
<br />improved on-farm irrigalion systems
<br />and farm water management. In the
<br />initial year, 470 farmers requested that
<br />they be allowed to participate, and
<br />salinity control practices were
<br />installed on 163 farms. This lo.year
<br />program will evenlually remove an
<br />estimated 130,000 tons of salt annually
<br />lhrough on, farm practices on 4S,(X)O
<br />acres. The Department of Agriculture's
<br />program and the \Vater and Power
<br />Resources Service's oif,farm water
<br />system improvement program are,
<br />together, projected to reduce salt
<br />contributions from Grand Valley by
<br />an estimated 410,000 Ions annuaJJy.
<br />The Departmenl of Agriculture
<br />completed a report, "Salinity Report,
<br />Uintah Basin, Utah," as part of the
<br />basinwide salinity control program.
<br />The report recommends an on-farm
<br />program for salinity control in the
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