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<br /> <br />C> <br />CD <br />-..J <br />w <br /> <br />owners could react similarly to the McElmo Creek owners and refuse <br />program participation unless the Bureau agrees to provide them cost-free <br />benefits. As such I Bures.u planners may be willing t:o accept: owners I <br />demands eo ensure t.hat proj ect:s to cont:rol irrigat:ion salt: sources are <br />compleeed. <br /> <br />Recommendations <br /> <br />We recommend that the Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation: <br /> <br />1. Formally notify Congress of the limitations on the Department's <br />ability to comply wieh the provisions of Titles I and II of the Colorado <br />River Basin Salinity Control Act. At a minimum, the Bureau should <br />address the potential inability of the desalting plane co meee the <br />program objectives, the Bureau's inability to replace desalting plant <br />wastewater, and the substantial increases in the plant's projeceed <br />operating and investment costs. The Bureau should also address its <br />ina.bilit:..: Co obtain ehe st;.ate and local coopera1:ion nec.essary to ensure. <br />an effective and economical Title II program. <br /> <br />2. .Provide Congress addi tional information on which to further <br />judge the reasonability and desirability of continuing with the Title I <br />program in its current context. This should be done by providing <br />Congress with a formal analysis similar to that requested by the Office <br />of Management and Budget in the 1989 budget passback. The analysis <br />should identify alternative means of complying with the Title I salinity <br />standards, compare their long-term economic effects "ith those of the <br />current program, and evaluate their potencial effect on the water <br />allocations of the basin states. <br /> <br />3. Discontinue further effort on Title II investigations of <br />projects to control natural salr sources until the Colorado River basin <br />states expressly agree to issue water use permits solely for salinity <br />control purposes. <br /> <br />4. Establish policies and procedures covering Title II "ork <br />initiated on private irrigation facilities to preclude rhe inclusion of <br />features not essential to the accomplishment of salinity reduceion. <br /> <br />5. <br />privately <br />project. <br /> <br />the unauthorized $4.4 mill ion <br />facilities planned for the <br /> <br />expansion of <br />McElmo Creek <br /> <br />Not proceed with <br />owned irrigation <br /> <br />Bureau of Reclama~ion Re.snonse <br /> <br />Recommendation'. The Bureau seated chat i: was already complying <br />wieh this recommendaeion because it believed the program would meee ehe <br />provisions of ehe Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act and because <br />Congress has been kept adequately informed through ehe budget process and <br />various reports such as "Qualiey of Water, Colorado River Basin, Progress <br />Report No. 14," dated March 1989. <br /> <br />Reco~~endat:ion 2. The Bureau seated that it had complied with chis <br />recommen~at:ion based on its conclusion chat: informal discussions wi~h an <br /> <br />12 <br />