Laserfiche WebLink
<br />Q <br /><;> <br />O'~, <br /> <br />The feder~l ;overn~ent would bear the remainder of saltnity control costs <br /> <br />on the grounds that 1) publicly a.nee lanes contribute about half of tr:.e total <br /> <br />-- <br /> <br />salt load, 2) some sal1nfty benefits, such as the value of :r.eetjng <br /> <br />international agreements, are merit gOOds, and 3) the govern~ent 15 partially <br /> <br />responsfble for Upper Bastn irrigatfon Development. <br />Our analysis supports the f1ndfngs of polittcal observers that economic <br /> <br />efficiency has not been the most frr:por-:ant goal 1n sal1n1t)' mana;ement on tt'e <br /> <br />Coloraco River (Mann; Miller, et 41.>, Upper anC: LO'JIer Bas1n '!later interests <br /> <br />untted to form a strong coalition which pushed a federally funced salfnit)' <br /> <br />control program through Congress. <br /> <br />The only costs not pafd directly bJ 'the <br /> <br />federal govern~ent are funded from federal hydroelec~r1city revenues, which are <br /> <br />equivalent to feceral taxpayer funds. Not only have water users a\loidec any <br /> <br />l1ab1l1ty for salinity control, but all partfcipants have gainec from the <br /> <br />program. lower Bas1n water users rece1ve better water qualfty at no addftional <br /> <br />cost, and Upper Sas1n farmers, such as those 1n the Grand Valley, enjoy net <br /> <br />farrr. income increases from subsfdized 1rrigation system 1rr.provements. In <br /> <br />short, sa11nitY--5o~~!:~1 P!ograrr.s are a way to keep federal dollars flowfng to <br /> <br />Colorado R1ver ..ater users even as the purse str1ngs for convent fona 1 \IIater <br /> <br />supply projects are t1ghteneCi they are a scoc exar..ple of successful rent- <br /> <br />seek1ng cy project benef1c1~r~L <br /> <br />However, improved po11c1es are avanable. <br /> <br />Research both to fu rther <br /> <br />clarify the pathways of salt from upstream sources to dC\llnstream water users <br /> <br />and to more precisely icent1fy the extent of downstream econom1c da~a;es from <br /> <br />salinity 'would be appropriate. <br /> <br />The difffcult soc~al prOblem 1s to cesfgn <br /> <br />sa11nity control /1':easures that match the d1stribution of costs frrp11ed ::y an <br /> <br />agreec:-upon set of entitlements and l1abl1ities, anC: yet are reasona:;:tly cost- <br /> <br />zc <br />