WSP10002

• File Number: 8270.100
• Description: Colorado River Basin Water Quality/Salinity -- Misc Water Quality
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 3/1/1989
• Author: USDOI
• Title: Quality of Water - Colorado River Basin - Progress Report No. 14 - January 1987
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

key sites (tables 1-20 of this report). In addition, the USGS conducts
hydrologic investigations and research on specific aspects of the salinity
problem in the Basin. The results of some of these investigations are
summarized in Part IX.

~~ The Bureau of Land Management (ELM) has devploped a resource
CO management planning (RMP) pt-ocess to make basic l;lnd IIse decisions. Through
<:.r~ this process, BLM identifies and evaluates salinity control activities.
en Salinity control is accomplished through proper land use and in a way that
enhances other resource values. The BLM's role in reducing salinity
contributions from public lands is the implementation of land management
practices. The BLM will control salinity on public lands through techniques
that are cost-effective and provide multiple resource benefits, including
salinity control. The effect of management actions on salt yields to the
Colorado River will be determined by environmental analyses.

Yith the exception of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
reviews, the EPA programs dealing with salinity control have been largely
delegated to the States. These programs include Water Quality Standards,
Yater Quality Management Planning, and NPDES permits. The EPA maintains
oversight and/or approval responsibilities for these delegated programs.

The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council was
established by Public Law 93-320. The Advisory Council is composed of up to
three representatives appointed by the governor of each of the Basin States.
The Council receives reports from the various Federal agencies working on the
salinity control program and makes recommendations to the Secretaries of the
Department Interior and Agriculture and the Administrator of tile EPA on the
progress of implementation of the salinity control program.

The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum was established in
1973 as a mechanism for interstate cooperation and to develop and adopt water
quality standards for salinity, including numeric criteria, on the Colorado
River.

The standards were published in 1975 and were based on the objective
of maintaining salinity concentrations at or below the 1972 levels found in
the lower main stem of the Colorado River while allowing the Basin States to
cootinue to develop their compact apportiuJl~d waters. The Forum is composed
of up to three representatives appoillted by the governor of each of the Basin
States. The seven Colorado River Basin States--Arizona, California, Colorado,
Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Yyoming have an important role in the salinity
control effort. They are responsible for the control of the discharge ot
total dissolved solids from point discharges through the NPDES permit program.
California, Colorado, Nevada, and Vyoming have authority to issue all types of
NPDES permits; New Mexico and Arizona prepare permits and forward them to EPA
for issuance; and Utah issues its minor industrial permits while EPA handles
the major industrial permits.

The Basin States h~ve primary
enforcement of water quality standards.
established at Hoover, Parker, and Imperial
879 mg/L, respectively. In addition to
developed water quality management plans to
Section 208 of the Clean Yater Act.

responsibility for the adoption and
The numeric cri ted a (s tandards)
Dams are 723 mg/L, 747 mg/L, and
NPDES perml ts, tile States have
conform with the requirements of

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