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<br /> <br />Salinity adversely affects the water suppl" for a population exceed- <br /> <br />ing 10 mUlion people and over 1 million acrea of lrrigated land in <br /> <br />the Lower Colorado River Baain. Salini ty also affects water tlsers in <br /> <br />8'0:1: <br />CJ>> Mexico. As salinity levels riae, the net economic. return from agri- <br /> <br />o <br />~ oultur" decreases and municipal and industrial water tlsers experiencp <br /> <br />significantly increasing costs as salinity l"vels rise above 500 mp,/l, <br /> <br />the maximum recommended in the U.S. Public Health Service Drinking <br /> <br />Water Standards. <br /> <br />As an indication of the ma~itude of salinity damages, the EPA esti- <br /> <br />mated (for 1970) total annual economic detriments to be $16 million. <br /> <br />If ,mter resource development proceeds as proposed and no salinity <br /> <br />controls are imple~nted, it is estimated that the detriments would <br /> <br />increase to $28 million in 1980 and $51 million in 2010. If future <br /> <br />water resource development is limited to those projects under con- <br /> <br />struction. estimated annual detriments would increase to $21 million <br /> <br />in 1980 and $29 million in 2010. Detriments to water users in Mexico <br /> <br />and to recreation and fishery us"rs in the Salton Sea are not included <br /> <br />in these F.PA estimates but are believed to be substantial. <br /> <br />Alternatives suggested for salinity control 1.n theColoradn River BllSin <br /> <br />includ" (1) augmentation of the basin watcr supply, (2) reduction of <br /> <br />salt loads hy structural measures as well as management alternatives, <br /> <br />and (3) curtailment of future water resource developmet>t. The feasi- <br /> <br />bility and desirability of these three salinity control alternatives <br /> <br />arc influenced to a large degree by the economics ,of such actions nnd <br /> <br />4 <br />