WSP09734

• File Number: 8271.200
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program - Development and History - UCRB 13a Assessment
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 9/1/1979
• Title: Impacts on the Lower Colorado River Region Resulting from Alternative Levels of Emerging Energy Development in the Upper Colorado River Region
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

~
~
~
~

.

,

USBR's CRSS model based on the alternative degrees of water use

assumed in the Upper Region.

It should be noted that Alternatives II and III depict the same rate

of EET development even though the resultant impacts are different.

The main reason for this is the different levels of water depletions

in the Upper Region from other than EET uses. As a result of these
different reference levels of non-EET water depletion, different

water supplies occur downstream. This change in supply causes the

model to fill reservoirs differently, which, in turn, causes short-

ages and surpluses to be declared at different times. This adds to
the difference in the water suppl ies, especially below Hoover Dam

with a resultant difference in effects caused by the two different

alternatives.

Economic Impacts

Economic impacts stem from reductions in water supply and from

increases in salinity. The projections in table 1 show that on the

average all Lower Region users would receive less water as a result

of EET development in the Upper Region. However, due to legally

mandated allocation criteria and inherent flexibility in the system,
no downstream user would receive less than his legal entitlement.

Since the CAP (Central Arizona Project) has the junior right and

would incur the majority of the reduction in supply, only impacts

from reduced supply to CAP were analyzed.

13