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<br />Other Activities <br /> <br />o <br />{\) <br />-.J. <br />Cl <br /> <br />Utah's Nonpoint Source Management Plan was approved by EPA on September 15, 2000. <br />The plan contains Utah's strategy for the control of nonpoint source pollution in the state. Utah has <br />relied on USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service EQIP funds and Reclamation salinity <br />control funding to implement salinity control projects in the Colorado River Basin. <br /> <br />Major construction of irrigation improvements for salinity control ccontinues in the Price <br />River and San Rafael River Drainages and the Uinta Basin. The principle funding source for the off- <br />farm conveyance and distribution systems of these projects is Reclamation's Basinwide Program. <br />The on-farm projects use EQIP funding along with local cost-share. The local cost-share for both <br />programs is generally a combination oflandowner monies and state program monies. Utah operates <br />a low interest loan program which provides funding for soil and water conservation and water quality <br />improvement practices for farms. Utah has committed a substantial amount offunding through this <br />program to irrigation improvement projects which provide salinity reduction from on-farm sources. <br />This program operates under the guidance of the Soil Conservation Commission and local soil <br />conservation districts. In addition, low interest loans are available to irrigation companies from the <br />Board of Water Resources for the improvement of irrigation transmission and delivery systems. <br />These improvements increase efficiency and decrease seepage losses, thereby contributing less deep <br />percolation water for salt loading to the Colorado River system. <br /> <br />Wyoming <br /> <br />NPDES Permits <br /> <br />The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, Water Quality Division administers <br />the NPDES Program within the boundaries of the State of Wyoming. The Forum's "Policy for <br />Implementation of Colorado River Salinity Standards through the NPDES Permit Program" is used <br />and followed to evaluate industrial and municipal discharges. A total of forty-three active NPDES <br />permits are associated with facilities in the Wyoming portion of the Colorado River Basin. <br /> <br />There are currently 24 active NPDES permits issued to industrial facilities located in the <br />Wyoming portion of the Colorado River Basin. The primary industrial source of salinity in the <br />Green River Basin introduced through a point-source discharge is Pacificorp' s Naughton Plant which <br />discharges approximately six tons of salt per day into a tributary of the Green River. The permit for <br />this facility was issued on the basis that it was not "practicable" to implement the Forum policy of <br />no discharge of salt from industrial sources, following a decision based upon a comparison of the <br />costs of removing salt and downstream benefits associated with eliminating the discharge. The <br />current permit, due to expire on July 31, 2003, requires the benefit/cost analysis to be reevaluated <br />and resubmitted by July 31, 2001. However, as of the date of this report, this analysis has not been <br />submitted and the DEQ will contact the facility requesting this information. <br /> <br />4-27 <br />