Amends the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act to declare that actions concerning water and related land resources projects upstream from the Imperial Dam shall not be governed by specified provisions of the Water Resources Planning Act.
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to give preference to those salinity control units that reduce the salinity of the Colorado River at the least cost per unit of salinity reduction. Deletes certain provisions of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act concerning agreements with the Secretary of Agriculture for the Grand Valley unit.
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to construct and maintain the following salinity control units according to specified directions: (1) Stage I of the Lower Gunnison Basin, Colorado; (2) McElmo Creek, Colorado; (3) Stage I of the Uinta Basin, Utah; (4) Palo Verde Irrigation District, California; (5) saline water use and disposal opportunities, Colorado River Basin; and (6) Sinbad Valley, Colorado.
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a voluntary cooperative program with private landowners to improve on-farm water management and reduce watershed erosion on non-Federal and Department of Agriculture lands. Directs the Secretary to issue reports to certain congressional committees and others. Prohibits the expenditure of funds for measures implementing such program until the lapse of 60 days following submission of such reports, and not then if any of the congressional committees or the others reported to veto it.
Authorizes appropriations through FY 1989.
Prohibits the Secretary of Agriculture from assuming continuing operation and maintenance obligations for permanent salinity control measures constructed on non-Federal lands.
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to develop a program for minimizing salt contributions to the Colorado River from lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management.
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held.
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources received executive comment from Interior Department. Favorable, if amended.
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