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Colorado River Basin Salinity Control ProgramOverviewThe program reduces salinity preventing salts from dissolving and mixing with the river's flow. Irrigation improvements and vegetation management reduce water available to transport salts vertically, laterally and on the soil surface. Point sources, such as saline springs are also controlled. A long term, interstate and interagency public/private partnership effort is being carried out to reduce the amount of salts in the river and its associated impacts in the basin. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required development of water quality standards for salinity in the Colorado River in 1972. The basin states formed the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum (Forum) in 1973 to develop these standards including numeric salinity and a basin-wide plan of implementation for salinity control that EPA subsequently approved. In 1974, Congress enacted the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act (Act) with subsequent amendments. This authorized the construction, operation and maintenance of salinity control works in the Colorado River Basin. Title I of the Act address the United States commitments to Mexico established by agreement of the International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico. This agreement addresses the quality of water deliveries to Mexico pursuant to the Mexican Water Treaty of 1944. Title II of the Act created the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program and directed the U.S. Department of Interior (USDI) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) manage the river's salinity, including salinity contributed from public lands. The law directed that preference be given to those projects that are the most cost-effective in obtaining the greatest reduction in salinity concentration per dollar spent. Highlights
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Annual Reports Available
Program ContactsDave
Mason, National Program Manager, 202-720-1873 |
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