43 U.S.C. § 1591 — Salinity control policy

The Secretary of the Interior shall implement the salinity control policy adopted for the Colorado River in the “Conclusions and Recommendations” published in the Proceedings of the Reconvened Seventh Session of the Conference in the Matter of Pollution of the Interstate Waters of the Colorado River and Its Tributaries in the States of California, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming, held in Denver, Colorado, on April 26–27, 1972, under the authority of section 10 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1160), and approved by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency on June 9, 1972.

The Secretary is hereby directed to expedite the investigation, planning, and implementation of the salinity control program generally as described in chapter VI of the Secretary’s report entitled, “Colorado River Water Quality Improvement Program, February 1972”. In determining the relative priority of implementing additional units or new self-contained portions of units authorized by section 1592 of this title, the Secretary or the Secretary of Agriculture, as the case may be, shall give preference to those additional units or new self-contained portions of units which reduce salinity of the Colorado River at the least cost per unit of salinity reduction.

In conformity with subsection (a) and the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency under Federal laws, the Secretary, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Secretary of Agriculture are directed to cooperate and coordinate their activities effectively to carry out the objective of this subchapter.