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<br />l'v <br />w:::. <br />00 <br />o <br /> <br />'{ <br /> <br />,. <br />},' <br />>: <br /> <br />INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />The total annual salt loading to the Colorado River is about 9 million tons <br />per year, causing problems for municipal, industrial, and agricultural water <br />users in;the Lower Colorado River Basin (Lower Basin) where salinity is the <br />highest, About half of the present salt concentration in the river can be <br />attribui:$d to natural sources, while the remainder is human-induced, <br />Human activities that increase salinity are primarily water resource <br />develop$ent projects, which either deplete fresh water inflows or increase <br />saline r~tum flows or both. In their 1988 report entitled Estimating <br />Economic Impacts of Salinity of the Colorado River Basin, the Milliken <br />Chapmap, Research Group estimated total salinity damages in the United <br />States pOrtion of the Lower Basin at $311 million annually, based on the <br />1976-85 ;average level of salinity, Salinity was relatively low during this <br />period bilcause of dilution caused by extraordinarily high runoff in the early <br />1980's. Since that time, salinity has returned to more normal levels. The <br />economi~ impact model developed by the research group estimates that <br />Lower Bilsin damages are now approaching $1 billion per year. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br /> <br />Althougl;l unquantified, damages in the Republic of Mexico can be severe. <br />Because 'of its location at the end of the river, salinity levels in the water <br />entering,Mexico are among the highest in the Colorado River Basin. <br />Salinity !control in the United States also improves the salinity of water <br />entering Mexico, This benefit has not been estimated but is thought to be <br />significant, <br /> <br />;1 <br />"iF <br />