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<br />1.....:,.. <br /> <br />Water Quality <br /> <br />During the year. the United <br />States and MexIco signed an <br />agreement concerning salinity ot <br />the river below Impenal Dam. <br />legislation was Introduced In <br />Congress in May that would <br />authorize a Colorado River BaslO <br />salinIty control program. and work <br />progressed on studies of the <br />salinity control program for the <br />river system. <br /> <br />Mexican Salinity Agreement <br /> <br />The issues relatlOg to salinity of <br />Colorado River water delivered to <br />Mexico have been covered in prior <br />Board Annual Reports. <br />Negotiations were held with <br />Mexico during 1973. with the <br />objective of reaching a "permanent <br />and definitIVe" solutIon to salinity <br />issues The seven-state Committee <br />of Fourteen provided consultation <br />and advice to the negotiators. The <br />committee is made up of two <br />representatives from each of the <br />Basin states. California's <br />representatIves are the Director of <br />Water Resources and the Board's <br />Chief EnglOeer. <br />These negotiations culminated In <br />an agreement signed on August 30 <br />by the United States and Mexican <br />Commissioners and approved by <br />both Presidents. which is Identified <br />as MlOute No. 242 of the <br />International Boundary and Water <br />Commission. The Committee of 14 <br />generally concurred with the <br />agreement, provided that <br />legislation to implement the <br />agreement contains certalO <br />essential prOVisions to protect the <br />states' Interests. <br />The major provision 10 Minute <br />242 is that the United States is to <br />adopt measures 10 assure that the <br />water delivered to Mexico at the <br />Northerly International Boundary <br />has a salinity of nOt more than 115 <br />ppm, as an annual average (plus or <br />minus 30 ppm), greater than the <br />salinity at lmpenal Dam. The <br />provision goes tnto effect between <br />January 1. 1974. and July 1. 1974. <br /> <br />; <br /> <br />provided that Congress authorizes <br />funds for the necessary measures. <br />Until this provision becomes <br />effective, the UOIted States agreed <br />to continue to replace 118.000 <br />acre-feet per year of Arizona's <br />WeHton-Mohawk District drainage <br />waters. which is a little more than <br />half of the District's total drainage. <br />Since June 1972, at Mexico's <br />request. all the Wellton-Mohawk <br />drainage water is discharged below <br />Morelos Dam. <br />To implement the Minute. the <br /> <br />~ -~ <br />E~./ ,,'-',~.' .. ".":'-~~~~r.''''~'': <br />...~ _. _.,':1'" _' "".. ~....... ,~f'iIIIIo,,;O <br />'. - '- "'"......... ~ --.. . .>>....- ;;';--:;"" <br />... ;;:.-- ~-- ------- _. --,...".. ':t...___ <br />- -....- .-. -. .. . . '- -:- ~ ~. r <br />~ ~" <br /> <br />by the Unlted States. as <br />substitution water for a portion of <br />the bypassed WeHton-Mohawk <br />drainage water. ThiS use is <br />temporary and ends when the <br />Secretary of the Interior delivers <br />less water to California users than <br />requested by those users. The <br />anticipated cost of the new <br />concrete lined canat and <br />associated works is 521.5 million. <br />4). Reduction by about 10.000 <br />acres of farmland within the <br />Well ton-Mohawk Distnct. and <br /> <br /> <br />Morelos Dam diverts Colorado River wafer fo Me.,co. <br /> <br />Administration plans to undertake <br />the followmg measures: <br />1). Construction of a major <br />desalting plant near Yuma. Arizona. <br />to desalt WeUton.Mohawk drainage <br />water. <br />2). ConstructIon of a lined canal <br />to convey the plant's brine to the <br />Gulf of California. The estimated <br />cost of construction of the <br />desalter. canal. and associated <br />works is 598 million. Operation and <br />maintenance of these facilities will <br />cost about 510 million annually. <br />3). Reconstruction of the first 49 <br />miles of the Coachella Canal to <br />reduce seepage losses. An amOunt <br />of water equal to the amount of <br />water saved by lining will be used <br /> <br />,- -.....-0-... <br />.i...,~~"'A"-, . <br />...~~..-.~... <br /> <br />improved irrigation efficiency. <br />In addition to the above. the <br />Colorado River Basin states. <br />through the Committee of <br />Fourteen. have stated that the <br />following additIonal measures are <br />needed. <br />1). Implementation of the <br />program without cost to U. S. <br />water users_ <br />2). Responsibility by the Federal <br />Government to replace brine <br /> <br />7 <br />