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<br />FEDERAL AGENCY ROLES <br /> <br />Federal coordination is accomplished using <br />the lead agency concept. The Secretary of <br />the Interior, acting'through the Bureau of <br />Recl,,"ation. has tile responSibility for <br />implementing salinity control activities. <br />Interagency 'Coordination is fonnalized through <br />a series of joint agreenents executed at the <br />Cabinet level. Coordfnationat"thefield <br />administrative/technical level is accompl ished <br />through a Federal Interagency Salinity Control <br />CoordinatingCOIlllIittee. <br />USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) _ <br />Average onfann irrigation and distributIon <br />system 1lfficiencies, especially in the Upper <br />Basin, are generally low. tow irrigation <br />efficiencies generally indicate high surface <br />runoff and/or overirrigat ion. Overfrrigation <br />can result ln excessive deep percolation. <br />which contributes to the salinity problem by <br />leaching salts into the river. <br />Approximately 1 million acres are irrigated in <br />17 identified salt source units in the Upper_ <br />Basin. . Onfarm salinity control measures are <br />estimated to be cost-effective in at least <br />7 of- the units (500,000 acres). <br /> <br />[n resj)onse to Public _Law 93-320, USDA us-es <br />its ongoing prograa to study and provide <br />implementation assistance for need~d salinity <br />control measures. Presently; the'ScS (Soli.. <br />Cons"E!rvation Service) 1-s provided River Basil) <br />funds for surveys. lnvestigat"ions. ,and t.he <br />resulting study reports, lotI,ile Conservat-ion' . <br />Qperat'ionsfunds,areprovidedfortethnical, <br />assistance. The latter are ,supplemented, ..,it~ <br />a 5 percent transfer of ASCS' {Agricultural" <br />Stabilization andConservationService)ACP <br />{Agricultural ConservationProgr<lll) funds. <br />ASCS is using funds provided through ACP to <br />cost share for implB1lentation of salinity <br />control measures. The S&E-AAS (Science and <br />Education-AgriculturaIResearchService) and <br /> <br />Extension.Serviceareprovidingfundsfrctll <br />thei.r appropriations for research. denonstra- <br />tiofl, infonnation. and el1ucadon. <br />USDA', in cooperation with concerned state <br />agenClesandcitherFederal agencies, has <br />completed studies in four irrigated salt <br />s9urce units - Grand Valley Unit, ColoradO; <br />the Uinta Basin Uni~, Utah; the Big Sandy <br />River Unit, Wyoming; and the Moapa Valley <br />Unit, Nevada. Studies in three additional <br />irrigated units arenearingcOOlpletion_ <br />lower Gunnison Basin and McElmo Creek Units, <br />Colorado, and the Virgin River Unit, Nevada. <br />Utah, and Arizona. <br /> <br />8lH (Bureau of Land Managenent) - The BLH is <br />continuing to study processes of salt pickup <br />and transport in surface runoff frOO! range- <br />lands and ground water on the public domain. <br /> <br />Tile conclusions in the 1977and 1978-798lM <br />Salinity Status Reports regar:!ing effects <br />of man's activities on salini,ty suggest a <br />relationship between increased salinity and <br />increased runoff and'soil loss. However, <br />the effects on salinity of oil-gas activi- <br />.ties, mining. off-road-vehicle usage. and <br />grazing need to be established to Quantify <br />reldt_ionships. <br /> <br />Additional studies are also needed on the <br />feasibility of controlling natural and man- <br />Sibi(ity_of controlJing natural ,and man-' <br />.caused point sources of salinity-from.ground <br />wat'~r-. . -. . . <br />The foliowing aqivjties have been identified <br />to bet,ter understand th_efactors Jrlfluencing <br />salinity and the best meafls of reducing salt <br />yields from public domain lands. <br />1. Continue research into the natural <br />processes involved in salt pickup and <br />transport in surface runoff frQ1l <br />rangelands. <br /> <br />/JAW~ <br />(~".i.""..." <br /> <br />, . <br /> <br />~. <br /> <br />2. Continue research on the effects of <br />grazing on hydrologic responses and ulti- <br />matelyon salinity. <br />3. Collect ,,!,ater quality data necessary <br />for preparing andlllOnitoring success of <br />land use and activity plans (i.e., allot_ <br />ment managE!llent plans). <br /> <br />4. Collect and control discharge frctll <br />isolated saline springs on public dOlllain <br />lands. <br />EPA (Envirormental Protection Agency) _ The <br />key EPA progr<lllS dealing with salinity control <br />are Water Quality Managenent Planning and <br />IfPOES pennits which are generally administered <br />by the states. Additional EPA activities have <br />been in the areas of progr<lll suPPOr:t and <br />guidance for state and Forllll salinity control <br />activities. <br /> <br />EPA Regions VIII and IX allocated 208 funds to <br />help create and support an Executive Director <br />position for the Forun. EPA has been working <br />and will continue to work with the Basin <br />States to assist in impl8llenting state salin- <br />ity control activities. Some states are <br />developing impll3llentatlon activities as part <br />of state/EPA agrel3llents. <br />Region VIII has adopted an -Energy Policy <br />Stat8ll,:nt" whi~h includes the following: <br />The-Region wi.11 strongly enco.urage <br />'.that, 'Iltlen possible, energy development <br />actjytties utilize pOorer quality water <br />not suitable for. dOll1estic, municipal, <br />or aqriCiJ.ltural ,purposes as opposed to <br />higher quality water. <br /> <br /> <br />U1l\H <br /> <br />""""" <br /> <br />n <br /> <br />i <br />, <br />/ <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />"3t:~ stUdy ."eO$ <br /> <br />SOIL CCNSE9.VATlOH SERV1Ct _tND 6UREAU ilF lAllD WIAGE."E~T <br />HUDY;l,REAS <br /> <br />,""w <br />"€< <br />