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<br /> <br /> <br />COLORADO RIVER <br />SALINITY CONTROL <br />PROGRAM <br /> <br />N <br />c.o <br />W <br />loClo., <br /> <br />USDA WATER <br />QUALITY INITIATIVES <br /> <br />DEMONSTRATION <br />PROJECTS <br /> <br />HYDROLOGIC UNIT <br />AREAS <br /> <br />ACP WATER QUALITY <br />SPECIAL PROJECT <br /> <br />Public Law 93-320 brought together the seven states in the Colorado River Basin into <br />an advisory council, which led to the formation of the Colorado River Basin Salinity <br />Control Forum in 1973. In 1975, salinity concentration standards were set for the river <br />in order to meet international agreements with Mexico. The Bureau of Reclamation is <br />responsible for improvements landowners make in improving their irrigation systems. <br />In the years SCS has been involved, significant reductions in salinity have been noted <br />in the Colorado River. <br /> <br /> <br />As a result of the Water Quality Act of 1987 and the President's Water Quality Initia- <br />tive, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has responded with a fIVe year pro- <br />gram to address water quality. The program has brought a new level of cooperation <br />between several USDA agencies. Multi-agency action groups have been established at', <br />the national and state levels to cOordinate the USDA water quality activities with the <br />priorities of each state's nonpoint source program. The program also includes the <br />three relatively new funding avenues described below for improving water quality as it <br />relates to agriculture. <br /> <br />Over a five year period, USDA intends to fmd a total of 24 demonstration projects <br />with the purpose of accelerating the use and acceptance of new, innovative or existing <br />technology to improve water quality. The practices being promoted by a demonstra- <br />tion project do not necessarily need to be totally new, but may be existing technology <br />which is not commonly used or accepted in a particular area. However, the technol- <br />ogymust be economically feasible, environmentally sound and socially acceptable. <br />The Cooperative Extension (CE) has the lead for these projects with assistl!l1ce from <br />SCS and the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASes). ASes <br />provides cost -share assistance for implementing practices. <br /> <br />SCS has the lead for developing hydrologic unit areas. It is anticipated that 1.15 areas <br />will be funded over the five year program period. the goal for these projects is to ac- <br />celerate the technical, fmancial and educational assistance needed to solve an aaricul- <br />tural nonpoint source water quality problem in a designated area. CE and ASes <br />participate with ses in these projects. Funding includes additional staff for both ses <br />and CE in the project area, with cost -share assistance provided by ASes, Potential <br />projects must be identified as priorities in the state's nonpoint source management <br />program. <br /> <br />ASes began the water quality special projects in 1988 with the goal of providing sig- <br />nificant additional cost-share assistance to a designated area for the purpose ofim- <br />proving surface and ground water that have been impaired by nonpoint aaricultural <br />sources, Project areas must be identified as water quality priorities by local or state <br />agencies. ses and CE also cooperate with ASCS in these projects, although ASes <br />had the lead, <br /> <br />Prepared by the USDA Soil Conservation SelVice in cooperation with the Colorado Nonpoint Source Task Force, All Soil <br />Conservation Service programs a1ld assistance are available without regard 10 race, color, religion, sex, age, marital status, <br />handicap or national origin. <br /> <br />@ RECYCLED PAPER <br /> <br />.- <br />