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<br /> <br />,..~ <br /> <br />Previolls Reclamation salinity projections h;we been too bif:h, <br />lClrgely be(';1U~;E' Ihf' deplt-'I iOll IHlljpc-tioo<; ....C'[P also run hip,h. Tr(l.osbasin <br />divC!rsions ;wd incn'<lsed H"selvoil E'VapOral ion iH"C'OUllt lor mo~t of the <br />incteased dl'p!f>tiolls from ]9(,1) fHJ: hmJlV(;1 110 additioll,ll salt pickup 0" <br />loading Occullen ....ith these rlepll:liolls. <br /> <br />-'. <br />~, <br />~J <br /> <br />The large q\liUlt i r ies of .....atel experterl to he depleterl for steilm <br />po....er generation, coal gasification. oil shale. iwd minet'al development have <br />not bpen lealizerl in the past rlf:'CiHfe. F:VE"r1 '.rl]pre ne..... (Oel] firerl pOIJ€'fpl;lIlts <br />hilve hE en ('onstruclf2d, some of rhr:- Viltf'l' h.'1.<; hPPll obtained from exi.<:ting <br />agri(~ultll1al rights. This COllver sian of use teduces thE' -"<'lIt loading to the <br />eOIOI'ado Rivel' by eliminaling tbe pil:kup of salt by callal seepage and deep <br />pet'eolation. <br /> <br />.;.-... <br /> <br />4. Reduced Flood Plains <br /> <br />The reservoirs have <llso ~ir.nifi('atltly reduced the pe.lk flood flo....s <br />dOl%stream. The l:onse(]t1ent ll:'ductiullS ill the dO\o'llstream [load plaills result <br />in decreased banK storage alld possihly t(-'duct>d sall IlushinR. At least <br />temporarily, the ;Hea bello/een the old .'tile! nev flood pl<lins m<lY act as a salt <br />sinK, but the long-teI-m salinity effects of the changes in the flood plains <br />are not I<no....n. <br /> <br />5. Energy Ex-ploral ion and Developm(>llt <br /> <br />Many of the g{>ologic fOlmiltiolls of the ColorMla Riv{>r Basin vere <br />deposited ill marine (sall \o'atpr) 01- hlil('kish V.lt('1- cnvirnnnl(-'llts. Stllfates and <br />sodium chloride iU'e ptevalent -"alts in most of these lonn:ltions. Memy of the <br />sediments depositecl in clrier pelinds ill€' I:ilpablp 01 tlansmiltillg ".ateI, hllt <br />these aquifels are frequently sand..'i('hed belveen hundreds or evell thOl1S<'ItHls of <br />feet of impermeable shales (aqllidudes). Thes€' aquifeI's are, the,.efore. <br />static and of lEon saline_ M;ltly St.llic ami saline aquifers are pl'esent in the <br />Colol-ado Rivpr B<'Ic;in. \Jhel1 iI pilth of flolo' is plovidf'd by dlilling 01' mining. <br />these aquifels .:Ire mobilized. .:IfHj bltll:Kisil 01' saline ....aters flo\o' back to the <br />surface. <br /> <br />The development of ener.gy teSOllI'Cf:"S, specifically coal, oil and gas, <br />and oil shale, in the Culol'C'ldo Rivel Bilsin m"y contrihute significant <br />qUilnt i ties of s<'Il t to tbe enIol-ann Rivel. Sal ini ty can be incn>ased ei ther by <br />dissollltion of miner.'tlc; or consllmption of good quality Valet. The location of <br />fossil fuels are associated l.:ith matin(> detiverl formiltiolls. Any distlltbalic:e <br />of these saline material~ '..-ill increase the contact surfaces <'IIlo.dng for' the <br />dissolutions of previollsly llnavailable soluble minerals. <br /> <br />Sal ini ty incl'f'.1.s('s assori.lled ....i III the mining of cOi'll c<ln be <br />attributed to lei'lchillg ot co.ll spoil fllatetiills. r1isch.ltgc> ot saline ground <br />....aters. and iJl(,I"eased seclimern yiplds reslil t ing from surti'lce rlistul-bing <br />activities. Spoil materials have a gleater pelmeabilit1 thatl ulldistllrbed <br />overburden, allo....ing most of the plecipit<1tion falling nn the spoils to <br />infiltrate instead of nlllning off. The .....He'. percobtes through the <br />utlconfined spoils allo..'ing" gteatel op[lonunitiE's fOI- dissolving soluble <br />minerals through increases in both conl,lct S\JrLlces <tnd tC"sio(>tlce time. The <br />..'.lter moves veltil:ally until it f'nCnl1nlf'n: unnistlllhed hr.Ol'ocK ....hf'le np.: <br />spl'ings C<'lll he creared. The l1s1I.11 tesult is an itlcrf'as€, in the vol lime of <br />....ater because of leduced ev;cI!JOf.LltlSpitarion <Inti an iutteast:' in total dissolved <br />solids (IDS). <br /> <br />v 5 <br />