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<br />
<br />Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Project, and
<br />Colorado River Water Quality
<br />~ Improvement Program
<br />~(Gene~Ovenriew)
<br />CJI
<br />Colorado River Basin States: Arizona, California,
<br />Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming
<br />
<br />Upper and Lower Colorado Regions
<br />Bureau of Reclamation
<br />
<br />The Colorado River nasin Salinity Control Act, Public
<br />Law 93~320, authorized the construction. operation. and
<br />maintenance of works in the Colorado River Basin to
<br />control the salinity of water delivered to Mexico. Tide I
<br />of the act (programs downstream from Imperial Dam)
<br />authorized construction of the Desalting Complex,
<br />Coachella Canal, and the Protectivc and Regulatory
<br />Pumping Units. These are primarily water recovery units.,
<br />and were either completed or under construction in
<br />1983, Title II of the act (programs up.tream from
<br />Imperial Dam) authorized construction of the Paradox
<br />Valley and Grand Valley Unils in Colorado, the Crystal
<br />Geyser Unit in Utah, and the Las Vegas Wash Unit in
<br />Nevada. Advance planning studies or construction Be.
<br />tivities were underway on three of these four units in
<br />1983,
<br />
<br />Also authorized under Title II was the authority to
<br />expedite completion on planning reports on 12 units
<br />described in the Secretary's report, "'Colorado River
<br />Water Quality Improvement Program. February 1972.-
<br />Public Law 96-375. dated October 3, 1980. authorized
<br />fea.ibility studi"" on 9 of th""e units, plus Ibe Meeker
<br />Dome VniL These investigations are classified in th.ree
<br />categories: (1) irrigation source control. (2) point source
<br />control, and (3) diffused source control.
<br />
<br />COWRADO RIVER BASIN SALINITY
<br />CONTROL - TITLE I
<br />
<br />Programs Downstream From Imperial DIUI1
<br />
<br />Title I of the act permits .implementation of the pro-
<br />visions of Minule No, 242. This minute, formally ap-
<br />proved hy the Uniled Stat"" and Mexico on Augu.t 30.
<br />1973, is an agreement by the two governments which
<br />provid"" that the United States shall adopt measure. to
<br />ensure that 1.36 minion acre.feet of water delivered
<br />annually to Mexico upstream of Morelos Dam shall have
<br />an average salinity of no more than 115 :t 30 part. per
<br />
<br />Region Revillion 1/84
<br />(From Project Data Book)
<br />
<br />million over the annual average salinity of Colorado
<br />River water arriving at Imperial Dam: The agreement
<br />further provides for the United States to deliver to
<br />Mexico, across the land boundary a1 San Luis., Ariz., and
<br />in the Limitrophe Section of the Colorado River down-
<br />stream from Morelos Dam, apprmdmateJy 140,000 acre-
<br />feet of water annuaUy, with salinity substantially the
<br />same as that of water customarily deJivered there. The
<br />minute also pl'o....ided that the concrete-lined Main
<br />Outlet Drain Extel1llion (MODE) be extended from
<br />Morel os Dam 10 the Santa Clara Slough in Mexico at
<br />United States expense.
<br />
<br />Included in the Desalting Complex Unit are structural
<br />measures consisting of: (1) a membrane-process de"salting
<br />plant, a pretreatment plant, and the nece,ssary appurte-
<br />nant works to treat drainage water from the W eHton~
<br />Mohawk Divi.ion, Gila Project; (2) extension of the
<br />concrete-lined bypass drain from Morelos Dam to the
<br />Santa Oara Slough in Mexico; and (3) replacement of an
<br />existing metal flume in the MODE with a concrete
<br />siphon. Nonstructural measures. consist 0(: (1) an \n,- . .
<br />gation efficiency improvement program in the Well ton-
<br />Mohawk Division; (2) an irrigable acreage reduction
<br />program in the Welllon-Mohawk Division; and (3) ac.
<br />quisition ot land, if needed, in the Corps of Engineel'8'
<br />Painted Rock Reservoir.
<br />
<br />In connection with the desalting plant, but to be in~
<br />vestigated independently, Section 101c of the act aUlh,
<br />orized the Reject Stream Replacement Study to iden~
<br />tify feasible meBBurCS which could adequately replace
<br />the water lost through reject from the Yuma Desalt.
<br />ing Plant and any Welhon-Mohawk drainage water
<br />bypassed to the Santa Oara Slough, The ",urce of any
<br />such replacement water was limited by the act to the
<br />States of Ariwna, Colorado, California, New Mexico, and
<br />those portions of Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming which are
<br />within the natural drainage basin of the Colorado River,
<br />The act also specified a study completion date no later
<br />than June 30, 1980.
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