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Title I Program Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act Conclusion Need For and Benefits of the YDP The United States must operate the YDP to meet the salinity differential and to minimize the bypass ofWMIDD irrigation drainage. The YDP will (1) conserve water and (2) maximize the beneficial use of Colorado River water available to the United States and Mexico by maximizing the recovery of WMIDD irrigation drainage, which will minimize the use of water from upstream storage to make treaty deliveries to Mexico. This, in turn, will minimize water lost to the Basin States, A permanent source of replacement water for the YDP reject stream has not yet been found, primarily because the United States has no entitlement to Colorado River water. Reclamation is continuing work to resolve this problem, For example, Reclamation is investigating proposals (1) to replace riparian salt cedar along the lower Colorado River with vegetation with lower water ES-6 demands and greater habitat and recreational values and (2) to create additional storage on the lower Colorado River to capture flows that otherwise would be lost to Mexico as excess deliveries. '. Building the YDP has contributed to the knowledge base of the desalting industry, The desalting industry will continue to benefit from the research and testing performed in support of the YDP. Future Activities Reclamation has developed an action plan to (1) review and evaluate the long-term power source for the YDP and the PRPU to ensure that power is purchased at least cost; (2) complete YDP startup work; (3) reduce WMIDD irrigation drainage pumping; (4) reduce YDP operation and maintenance costs; (5) secure a source of replacement water for the reject stream; and (6) further advance desalting research and develop- ment, Implementing the action plan is subject to change based on future developments and budget priorities.