COLORADO RIVER BASIN SALINITY CONTROL ADVISORY COUNCIL

Minutes of Meeting

June 6, 2023 

Jackson, WY and Virtual

Advisory Council Beginning Time: Tuesday June 6, 2023, 2:00 p.m. (MDT)

Designated Federal Officer Melynda Roberts

Presiding: Chairman Bill Hasencamp

I. Welcome, Introductions Hasencamp

Chairman Bill Hasencamp called the Advisory Council meeting to order at approximately 

2:00 p.m. (MDT) and welcomed those participating. He noted that Melynda Roberts was 

sitting at the table as the Designated Federal Officer along with Clarence Fullard, 

Reclamations new Water Quality Group Chief. An attendance roster of those who 

participated in the meeting is included as Appendix A.

II. Opening Comments Roberts

Melynda Roberts opened for Reclamation by reviewing the role of the Advisory Council 

and position of the Designated Federal Officer (DFO). A copy of Roberts’ presentation is 

included as Appendix B). Roberts is currently serving as the DFO. She reviewed the 

different responsibilities of the DFO including overseeing the meetings, keeping records 

and assuring compliance with federal regulations. and the role Advisory Council Chair

which include presiding at and conducting the meetings. She also reviewed the role of the 

Technical Advisory Group (TAG). She indicated that the TAG members are appointed by 

each state with the TAG Chair being appointed by the Advisory Council Chair and that the 

TAG makes recommendations to the Advisory Council.

Roberts recognized that Justin Bern was designated to serve as an alternate to Erin Jordan

(AZ), but Jordan was able to attend the meeting virtually. Charlie Ferrantelli attended as 

an alternate for Jeff Cowley.

III. Approval of Agenda Hasencamp

Hasencamp then asked for a review and motion to adopt the proposed agenda. There was 

a motion to amend the agenda to add an item IV.C. Election of Officers. The amended 

agenda was adopted by motion and is included, as amended, as Appendix C. 

IV. Draft Minutes of 2022 Fall Advisory Council Meeting – Lake Tahoe Roberts

The draft minutes of the October 25, 2022 Advisory Council meeting held in Lake Tahoe, 

CA were then presented. There were no proposed changes to the minutes, and they were 

adopted by the Council.
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There was then a discussion on the election of Advisory Council officers. A motion was 

made to maintain Bill Hasencamp as Chair and Becky Mitchell as Vice Chair of the 

Council. The motion passed.

V. Items from Forum Mitchell

Vice Chair Becky Mitchell indicated that there were no items to be brought to the Council 

from the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum.

VI. Basinwide and Basin States Program Roberts 

A. Quality of Water Progress Report #27 Radtke

Roberts then turned the time over to Robert Radtke to provide an update on the Quality 

of Water Progress Report #27. Radtke indicated that Progress Report #27 had been 

surnamed and was final. The pdf is currently receiving a 508 Compliance review and 

should shortly be posted to Reclamation’s website. It uses salinity values from the 

Forum’s 2020 Review and agency values from the 2022 FAR. Progress Report #28 

will use the Forum’s 2023 Review values. 

B. Budget Roberts

Roberts then provided the Council with a Basinwide Program and Basin States 

Program update (see Appendix D). She provided a list of active projects under the two 

programs, including information on the projects’ tons of salt removed, their costs and 

construction elements. 

C. NOFO Overview Roberts

Roberts then reported on the new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) including 

its timeline. Roberts indicated that the release of the NOFO occurred on the prior 

Friday. She discussed a planned question and answer meeting and the deadlines for 

submittal of salt load reduction requests. The NOFO submission deadline is on 

September 27, 2023. Due to a question later in the meeting, Roberts indicated that 

there was a form created for this NOFO which includes the priority dates of the water 

rights being held by the applicants. She indicated that inclusion of this form was based 

on prior recommendations. There was a suggestion that applicants could submit some 

type of letter which discusses the relative priorities and the probability of receiving a 

full water supply. Don Barnett indicated that at the last Forum meeting there was a 

concern expressed that, given the shortage of water supply in the Basin, Reclamation 

could find that it awards NOFO projects to canals that may not receive water in the 

future and so in response to that concern the Work Group created a subcommittee to 

review the matter and recommended to Reclamation that it include in the NOFO 

information relative to water right priorities. The goal was to decrease the risk of 

funding a project which may not regularly have water. The form is also included in 

Appendix D of these minutes. 

Roberts then provided the Council with a list showing the funding status of the active 

projects. She recognized that, due to the smallness of the print, that some of the 

information was difficult to read and asked Council members for input on information 

desired. There was a request that the detailed information be emailed out prior to each 
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meeting with a summary slide presented at future meetings. Roberts discussed the total 

expenditures ($8.5M in the current year) and the projected carry-over amounts. She 

also discussed the Basin States program contracts, including the SIR (Studies, 

Investigations and Research) projects. There was a discussion on who could apply for

SIR funding. Most studies are conducted by the USGS, but other participating federal 

agencies can participate with the funding. Generally, the projects are identified and 

scoped out by the Science Team and recommended to the TAG for review and 

recommendation to the Advisory Council. There was a question relative to a list of 

priorities which have been identified for study. Tom Marston indicated that there is 

such a list, and he will include it in his presentation.

D. Updates on LC Salinity Projects Scott

Carrie Scott, LC Salinity Coordinator, provided an update on Title I activities which 

focus on meeting the Minute 242 commitments below Imperial Dam. She discussed 

the relationship between improved water quality at Imperial and the difficulty in 

meeting the treaty commitments. She also indicated that during this incredible water 

year there were Gila River flows which entered the Colorado River below Imperial 

Dam but above Morales Dam which required added measurement and administration,

but that it looked like the U.S. will be okay with its differential delivery commitments. 

Due to several questions, Scott indicated that the U.S. was unsure on the whether the 

Gila River would make it easier or harder to meet the treaty commitments to Mexico. 

She indicated that unlike prior years, the Gila River flows were of better quality than 

the drain flows and at a certain level the flows helped meet the water quantity 

commitments, though there were still excess deliveries to Mexico.

Scott also fielded a question relative to the inactive Yuma desalting plant and the 

moneys being expended each year just to maintain the facility. She indicated that over 

the past several years Reclamation has ramped back on any capital improvement 

projects which would be required to operate the plant. She indicated that the plant is 

in ready reserve but that it would take more than an hundred million dollars and several 

years of project construction to bring the plant up to being able to operate at one-third 

capacity. She indicated that there are not any moneys budgeted for these projects. 

There was a question about using IRA funds for the plant. Scott indicated that she 

believed that there was a prohibition on the use of these funds for the plant but there 

was a wonder by some if “Bucket 2” moneys could be used.

E. Lower Basin Forecasting Update Saxton

Jolaine Saxton introduced herself to the group. She indicated that she will take Stacy 

Wade’s role in representing the LC to the Council. Saxton provided a presentation to 

the group on the Lower Colorado River Basin Development Fund (LCRBDF, see 

Appendix E). She discussed the timing of salinity funding coming into the fund and 

provided a current year, monthly funding report. She also discussed the revenue 

forecasting tools and update which was discussed in the last meeting. Though the 

updated tool shows higher projected income than shown six months ago, the models 

do not include release schedules presently being discussed nor does it include future 

drought potential. Saxton indicated that she will take input back to the modelers and 

that an update will be provided every six months at the Council meetings. 
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VII. Expenditures of Basin Funds

A. SIR Updates of open studies Roberts

Roberts provided to the group an update on the active SIR projects (see Appendix F). 

She discussed the status of the efforts. There was a discussion that the Lower Basin 

trends study is now nearly completed and that the additional funding from BLM is for 

the Upper Basin trends study.

B. Recommendations from TAG Marston

Tom Marston then reported on proposed new SIR studies (also included in Appendix 

F). Marston indicated that after a review by the Science Team and the Work Group, the 

TAG ultimately reviewed three potential proposals for study. The first proposal was 

for the creation of an interactive map showing salinity data, the second proposal was for 

additional funding for the on-going long-term water quality trends study in the Upper 

Basin and BLM has decided to provide this funding, and the third was a proposed add 

on to the trends study the ability to model the relationship between salinity and 

reservoirs (the original proposal also included the modeling of municipal salt 

contributions). In addition to the three proposals which seek Basin States Program 

dollar funding, there are two proposed studies at PVU which will use project O&M 

dollars. The first is high resolution of the brine wedge along the Dolores River and the 

second is a statistical analysis to optimize the timing of pumping the brine production 

wells. Marston indicated that it appears that these two proposals will both be funded 

with PVU O&M dollars. Marston also indicated that the Upper Colorado River 

NGWOS efforts is also working on two studies on the Dolores River which will help in 

better understanding of this system. The first is looking at better understanding the 

relationship between brine pumping and the brine/freshwater interface which will 

improve the groundwater modeling data as well as the funding of thermal mapping with 

drone flights along the Dolores River.

C. Action by Advisory Council Hasencamp

Roberts then led the Council in a discussion on funding recommendations for the first 

three proposed studies. After discussion there was a motion to accept the TAG 

recommendation that the first study (interactive mapping) be funded and that the Council 

endorse BLM’s funding of the second study (additional moneys for the Upper Basin 

trends study), but that the third study (modeling of reservoirs’ impacts to salinity) not be 

recommended at this time. The motion passed. 

VIII. Public Comment Hasencamp

There were no public comments.

IX. Direction to the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) Hasencamp/Roberts

There was no direction to the TAG.

X. Other Business/Actions Hasencamp

There was no other business brought forward to the Council.
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XI. Reclamation Follow-up Pullan 

Wayne Pullan then addressed the Council. He discussed the reorganization of the UC 

Region. He indicated that with all that is occurring in the Colorado River Basin they decided 

to establish the Upper Colorado Operations Office (UCOO) and made Katrina Grantz, the 

Deputy Regional Engineer, responsible for the UCOO. Under UCOO Reclamation created 

two divisions: 1) the Modeling, Operations and Project Management Division and 2) the 

Adaptive Management and Water Quality Division. This division includes both FACA 

groups (see Appendix G). He announced that Clarence Fullard will head up the Water 

Quality Group within the second division. He also noted the tremendous job done by 

Melynda Robertsin carrying the program through all of the changes. Pullan turned the time 

over to Fullard to introduce himself. Fullard indicated that he has worked for Reclamation 

since 2016, initially with the Technical Services Center in Denver and then in 2020 he 

moved to the UC office as the Deputy Program Manager for the Glen Canyon Dam 

Adaptive Management Program where he met many of those involved in salinity control. 

He has experience in working with advisory committees and believes working with the 

salinity control program is a good fit.

Pullan expressed appreciation for all of the efforts to respond to the concerns with the 

LCRBDF accrual issue. He also discussed the assumption in the 2023 Review relative to 

the operations at Paradox. He indicated that Reclamation does not have any significant 

indications that the Paradox injection well will fail anytime in the near future and that 

Reclamation intends to operate the project as long as the hardware will hold up. The project 

appears to be operating well at the 65% level. 

XII. Next Meeting Hasencamp

Chairman Hasencamp indicated that the next Advisory Council meeting will be held in the 

fall in conjunction with the Forum meeting and that the date and location will be determine 

later. The meeting then adjourned.

Adjourn Meeting: Approximately 4:00 pm (MDT)