WSP09929

• File Number: 8200.700
• Description: Colorado River Basin - General Publications
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 5/4/1979
• Author: Comptroller General
• Title: Colorado River Basin Water Problems - How to Reduce Their Impact - Report to the Congress of the United States
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

0008J:

costly actions may be needed during a crisis, as has occurred
in other parts of the West, that could be avoided if the
operating criteria were known in advance.

FURTHER EFFORTS ARE NEEDED TO
SALVAGE, CONSERVE, AND AUGMENT
THE WATER SUPPLY

The Congress, the Bureau, and the States have suggested
and/or pursued solutions to the predicted water shortage
in the basin. Such solutions have involved water salvage,
conservation, and various augmentation methods. Overall, very
little progress has been Qade through these programs to deal
with the predicted shortages. Although some programs, such
as water salvage, have had limited success, more needs to
be done. The areas where opportunities exist to increase
or use the available water supply better are summarized below
and discussed in detail in appendix V.

Water salvage program
has had limited success

The Bureau undertook programs for water salvage 1/ and
ground water recovery along and adjacent to the Colorado River
and was able to salvage about 569,000 acre-feet annually by

--dredging the river channel,

I~
,
I"

--removing vegetation along the river bank,

--constructing Senator Wash Darn to improve control
of the flow of water to Mexico by reducing excess
deliveries, and

--installing wells near the border to reduce the
flow of ground water to Mexico.

The Bureau estimates that another 125,000 acre-feet
of water will be salvaged anriually by the current program
of installing additional wells along the Mexican border.
Bureau officials also estimate that 191,000 acre-feet
of water could be salvaged annually through additional
dredging and vegetation removal programs. However, the
Bureau has stopped pursuing the dredging program and
none is planned for the future because of environmental,
fish, and wildlife concerns.

l/Water salvage is saving water for productive use that
- normally would be lost.

19