Title II, Colorado River Basin Salinity Control

To provide financial and technical assistance to: (1) identify salt source areas; (2) develop project plans to carry out conservation practices to reduce salt loads; (3) install conservation practices to reduce salinity levels; (4) carry out researc

The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program is a longstanding partnership led by Reclamation that works to reduce the amount of salt entering the Colorado River system, protecting water quality for millions of municipal, industrial, and agricultural users by improving off-farm systems like canal and ditch lining. It serves communities, farmers, local irrigation districts, and water users across all seven Basin States, offering funding, technical coordination, and project support under federal cost-share programs to help keep the river clean and productive. What makes the program unique is its basinwide collaboration among federal agencies, states, tribes, and hundreds of local partners, along with its proven success in removing more than 1.3 million tons of salt from the river system each year through practical, science-based solutions.

Any legal entity that is the owner or operator of the features to be replaced and/or to be constructed and capable of contracting with Reclamation.

Any person who uses or reuses Colorado River water for irrigation, domestic, municipal or industrial water supply, or for fish and wildlife habitat will benefit.

Eligible owners or operators in the Colorado River Basin above Imperial Dam may receive assistance to treat salinity problems.

Everything not listed under Use of Assistance, above.

Cooperative agreements and grants are written for a 5-year period.

Environmental compliance for this program may be required depending on the scope of the specific project funded. This may result in the need for an environmental impact assessment or environmental impact statement prior to the commencement of project activities.

In 1984, the Salinity Control Act was amended to direct the Secretary of the Interior to give preference to units which reduce salinity at the least cost per unit of salinity reduction (or cost-effectiveness). Cost-effectiveness is defined as the Salinity Program's annual cost per ton of salt prevented from entering the Colorado River system. Conceptually, cost-effectiveness is analogous to determining the cost per mile to own and operate a car. That computation combines the annual expenses (loan payments, gas, maintenance, etc.) and divides by the miles traveled each year. The key to understanding this approach is to appreciate that the government evaluates all projects as if the money is borrowed from a loan institution and repaid in annual installments over the life of the project. This economic evaluation principle is required by the "Economic and Environmental Principles Guidelines for Water and Related Land Resources Implementation Studies," March 1983. This method lends consistency in the comparison of non-federally financed alternatives (which must borrow funds) to Federally financed projects. Each proposal will be evaluated by an application review committee in accordance with the following criteria and corresponding percentage weights: (a) Technical merit - those passing will be evaluated further; (b) Cost effectiveness - 35%, (the annual cost for each ton of salt load reduction, expressed in dollars per ton); (c) The ability to enable future on-farm projects with the USDA - 30%; (d) Performance risk factors- 25%. Detailed information will be included in each FOA or may be obtained from the Salinity Control Program contacts listed above.

Reclamation will solicit proposals and award funding through a Notice of Funding Opportunity process. The NOFO will request proposals from public and private sectors that would control salinity based on cost per ton. The proposals will be ranked based on their cost effectiveness for preventing salt from entering the Colorado River system. The ranking would consider risk factors that might affect the project's performance. Upon receipt of applications/proposals by the date identified in the announcement(s), the applications will be reviewed to determine if application/proposal(s) are consistent with requirements identified in the announcements. The application/proposal(s) are reviewed against identified criteria by a Federal technical team of experts, that may include representatives of states as advisors. Based on the review, a ranking will be defined. Negotiations will be conducted and/or awards will be made based on recommendations from the technical experts. Award will be based on those applications best meeting the needs of the program, including cost and risk factors.

Approximately 90 days.

Final award decisions are not subject to appeal; however, the Bureau of Reclamation will provide all applicants with information on why their proposals were not selected for award.