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<br /> <br />'- <br /> <br />:c <br />~ <br />(. <br /> <br />SUMMARY <br /> <br />The Ouality of \.1.1Iel. Cololado River B,lsin. Progress Report is prepared <br />and Upd.lt<:-d every 2 YE-.lI:': to ~;umm""ri2e the Statu:<: of ....ater cluality in the <br />Colorado RivPI Bi1!;in (Basill). Although ~E"v{"r.l1 ....;Upr qll"lity piHam{>tf'r~ ArE> <br />fpvievl'd, salinity is by fiU rll(' most 5('lioIl5 and is allottE:'d it major portion <br />of this l"t"por t. <br /> <br />The ColDlado Riv(>! provides mllllicip;d and irldustrial ....alef for over 18 <br />million peoplt..' in 7 SLllf.s and irrigatioll '....aft'[ III OV('I 1.] IIlillion ;)("re5 of <br />land. The Color;,do RivC>f Basin [e~;elvf)il-S om.. h,lVP a combined storage <br />capi1ciry of :tlJOlIt tJO million iH'le-tf'f>T. 'Jhilf' ',.';:UP! fjuality is y,pnerally <br />adequate lor indu<;tt if'S. ....i IrlJ i t(> and Ih:(>slucv V.lff'l inp;. anci puhl ic ....nter <br />supplies. nutlif:>llt lo.ldinr, to flip mil-in stf'm fE'SPlvoilS is ltf'>l:(),"jrl~~ a prOblem <br />as development alld it~ ils.<;oriilfprl pollution incle;p:;ro. <br /> <br />Increases in phosphor-liS itlld nitlop,ell compourH'!." rhitl <lIt' I'.<:~ential to the <br />grovth of algaf', the ".ISP of the food dl.lill in 1(";(-"lvoilS". "1(' callsinp, somf' <br />pal tions of ttlE-' If'!';t.'rvojr~ to hf'C'omp f'Utfophic (UVt.'f ly pl-nrluctive). <br />Eutrophication ot rf'.<:(>rvoil~ ('all impair mUldr'!p..!!. inrlllqlial. ami <br />n:>cre.1t lonal u!'es by causing l.lste .lnri orior problems. CH;.;tt inp, tuxins, .lnd <br />reducing the dissolvprI uX:;!;",n aV,li lilble fo!' I i~;h. <br /> <br />VhiJp nutl ients in r.omp If'~{'rvoir-s .ilf' all<:inp, Ihpm to lu'comp Ptilrophic. <br />JPservoi.s furtlll'f dnVll~tl(>.lnl ;IIC !Jt'comillp' Illltl i"IlI pnor dllf' fo the tr,'pping <br />ot nutrients in thp uP<>/'-(>,lm 1C'~{'rvoip~o Thic:; 11;1'''; th,.. f'ff(~('r nt fpdurlllg the <br />productivity of the tishf'1 ies hy limitin.'t thdl loud supply. Studies ;:lde <br />descl ihed in P<lrts III "lid IX ....hich hpJp to dc.tinf' anrl rcsolv(' some of rhesf' <br />prohlem!'> in the Colorado Rj'/f:1 Basin. <br /> <br />Anothel ~l<'ljnl cnncPln In the Colol'dno RivPI B.1Sil1 i the tIHe.:!! of <br />salinit)" itl hoth the Urtit\ri ~I.lfc'c:; and Ih(, Rc'puIJlic oi Mexiro. IIlCrf'A!'>PS in <br />s<llinity are imporLin! ill lh(. B,'lsill bpC'iHI.<;P ot thp imp.:!C'f of <;,'llinilY all crops <br />and Oll municipal .'lltd indU'.11 i,,1 USC'I'!=:. The high{'l" !=:dlilli!}" JIlCle.1S(>s \J<ltf:'l <br />treatment COsts, di\mi-tges plumbirlp, and fixturp!=:. il1("reasps .'ll"intPnance on pumps <br />and distl iburions SYSlc.m',. lU'",('I"!: crop yield!'. 'llld illtl(>a!-:\'~ the need {Ol <br />special draillilgt' facilities on larlT1s. <br /> <br />s 1 <br /> <br /> <br />Historically. the Colorildo Ri'ler 'all if'S "hOlll Q million ton.c; of sillt <br />past Hoover Dilm in 10 million acre fet't of ....iltl"l pt'r :,('iU. Till illini!y cc>mes <br />from o,HuraI diffuse SOlllrp.<. s<tlinp pi ilt?,<;. <Iud ilglinrltllli'll SOUlces. <br />Natulal Sources 'lrld almust lI.llf tlti' lotal s;.lr IIl,u1. ill ir,<ll inn IPtu.n tlo\Js <br />add o....er one-third. .'Iud a minor pild t of Ih(,> salt lOilri is flom municipal and <br />industrial SOUlces. <br /> <br />Development in thp Basin. IIhich lerluces the flov of Ihp river and its <br />ahility to dilute the sillt in thp rlv!'I. i~ rnoje('t(!rI to If'dure Ihe flol.' in <br />the liver hy 2.7 millioll arlP fpE'r p('r YP;lI hy 2010. C;Hl~lng !'''lliuity to <br />increasE' dr.lmiltic.'llly. To mililllilin the s.llinily ilt ilccerlithJ(o levpIs in the <br />Uni ted States and to mpf't Olll obI igat ions \Ji th Mexico. se~'E'ral lilvs have been <br />passed by Congress. <br />