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<br />~ <br />~ <br />~ <br />~ <br /> <br />The major EPA programs dealing with salinity control (Water <br />Quality Standards, Water Quality M9nagement Planning, and <br />NPDESpermits) are the responsibility of the States. EPA <br />maintains oversight and/or approval responsibilities for <br />these programs. <br /> <br />The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council was <br />established by Public Law 93-320. The Advisory Council is <br />composed of up to three representatives appointed by the <br />Governor of each Basin State. It receives reports from the <br />various Federal agencies working on the salinity control <br />program and makes recommendations to the Secretaries of the <br />DOl (Department of the Interior) and USDA and the <br />Administrator of the EPA on the progress of implementation <br />of the salinity control program. <br /> <br />The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum was <br />established in 1973 as a mechanism for interstate coopera- <br />tion and to develop and adopt water quality standards for <br />salinity, including numeric criteria, on the Colorado River. <br />The standards were published in 1975 and were based on the <br />objective of maintaining salinity concentrations at or below <br />the 1972 levels found in the lower main stem while allowing <br />the Basin States to continue to develop their compact- <br />apportioned waters. The Forum is composed of up to three <br />representatives appointed by the Governor of each of the <br />Basin States. <br /> <br />The seven Colorado River Basin States--Arizona, California, <br />Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming--have an <br />important role in the salinity control effort. They are <br />responsible for the control of the discharge of TDS (total <br />dissolved solids) from point discharges through the NPDES per- <br />mit program. California, Colorado, Nevada, and Wyoming have <br />authority to issue all types of NPDES permits; New Mexico and <br />Arizona prepare permits and forward them to EPA for issuance; <br />and Utah issues its minor industrial permits while EPA handles <br />the major industrial permits. <br /> <br />The States have primary responsibility for the adoption and <br />enforcement of water quality standards. The numeric criteria <br />established at Hoover Dam, Parker Dam, and Imperia'_ Dam are <br />723 mg/L, 747 mg/L, and 879 mg/L, respectively. In addition <br />to NPDES permits, the States have developed water quality <br />management plans to conform with the requirements of Section <br />208 of the Clean Water Act. <br /> <br />11 <br />