[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 134 (Tuesday, October 24, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1892-E1893]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          COLORADO RIVER BASIN SALINITY CONTROL ACT AMENDMENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. JAMES V. HANSEN

                                of utah

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 23, 2000

  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1211, the Colorado 
River Basin Salinity Control Act. This act is a tremendous step forward 
in addressing water quality issues of the Colorado River. Through the 
passage of S. 1211 we are making practical the control of salinity 
upstream from the Imperial Dam in a cost-effective manner.
  In 1995, we created a pilot program authorizing the award of up to 
$75 million in grants, on a competitive-bid basis, for salinity control 
projects in the Colorado River Basin. The result of this pilot program 
has been a substantial drop in the cost per ton of salt removal. This 
legislation increases the program to $175 million in grants in order to 
continue to provide assistance to further reduce the salt content of 
the Colorado River.
  This bill is part of a long-term strategy to keep salt from running 
off into the Colorado River which flows 1,450 miles through Utah, 
California and five other Western States. The Bureau of Reclamation is 
authorized to rehabilitate miles of irrigation canals by lining them 
with clay, cement and other materials or with pipes to keep the water 
from seeping into the soil. Reducing the nine million tons of salt 
picked up by the Colorado River on its trip downstream helps farmers 
and all water users from Utah through Nevada and Arizona to California.
  By addressing the salinity issue, we not only protect the water 
supply of approximately 25 million people who depend on the drinking 
water delivered by the Colorado River, we also encourage landowners to 
control erosion and runoff of soils and salts into it. Mr. Speaker, 
this bill is an extremely important measure to ensure the lifeline of 
the American West remains as such.

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