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<br />viii <br /> <br /> <br />W <br />N <br />-.:1 <br />w <br /> <br />SlJI.t.\ARy <br /> <br />The Si~ua~ion <br /> <br />Waters of the colorado River are becoming more saline. Great concern <br /> <br />and a sense of urgency to halt the rise have been expressed by those <br />who depend upon the river as a lifeline. The salinity control impera- <br /> <br />ti ve extends ~o the Republic of Mexico and has become an importan~ <br /> <br />aspect in our interna~ional rela~ions wi~h tha~ na~ion. <br /> <br />At the headwaters the average salinity !( (concen~ration of total dis- <br /> <br /> <br />solved solids) in the Colorado River is less than 50 mg/l and pro- <br /> <br />gressively increases downstream until, at Imperial Dam, the present <br /> <br />modified y condition is 865 mg/l. Projections of future salinity <br />levels without a control program suggest that values of 1.250 mg/l <br /> <br />or more will occur a~ Imperial Dam by the year 2000. One projec~ion <br />used in the Lower Colorado Region Comprehensive Framework Study 3/ <br />foresees such a level being reached by 1980. Should ~hese increases <br /> <br />1/ Salinity as used in this report refers to the concentration of <br />total dissolved solids and is reported in milligrams per liter (mg/l). <br />This unit of concentration is nearly equivalent to parts per million <br />(ppm) up to concentra~ions of 7,000 mg/l. <br />2/ Presen~ modified refers to the historic conditions (1941-1968) <br />modified to reflect all ups~ream existing projects in operation for <br />the full period. <br />~ Water Resources Council. <br />