WSP10365

• File Number: 8273.100
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control - Federal Agencies - Bureau of Reclamation
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 10/1/1984
• Author: DOI BOR
• Title: Salinity Update - October 1984 - A Quarterly Report on the Colorado River Water Improvement Program
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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Th~ kilo;hen cold .....,(Or tap should ~ byp...('d .....hen 10l1e"Ing I I.mlly', Wlleo, luppllel.
according 10 le~er.1 speaker. 8'" conle'l!'nce on InorganIC' in drinking ....a'er

was nol harmful but that hard waIf'!'
contalfled some benetlClal prope11y possibly
calCium. which reduced the body's ability to
absorb trace metals. and thus IOweroo the
overall exposure to sucn elements as
cadmium and lead
Additionally, wMe water sof1ener'3 are
use/ulln redUCing pipe scalmg ana soap
usage " was stressed 0'1' ~I speaker',)
that a bypass should De plaoo:l 011 the
k,tChefI cold water tap, me tap most used lor
dnnklng ana COOI<rng water to maintain a
certa,n Ie-.~ 01 han.'lness
Other papers focusecl pnmanly on the
health effectS crl cadmium bimurn. and lead

'1'1 dnn!..lng water Epl{)emlOloglCal stu(j'e5
seem to u'ldlcate that tlanum has no eHect on
CVO below a If'Vel Of about 10 mgL while
cadmIum and lead do rlave a definite 00vel"3e
Impact Nooe 01 these elements are present
'1'1 any 519nlllCant COIlCef1lratlOflS In the
malnstem reaches 01 the COlorado RNef
It appe-ars trom dlscusslOOS at the
conference that there would not De adverse
healtn Impacts retal€'d :0 present sodium or
hardness levelS In dnnk.lng water from the
lower Colorado RlV€'r Any effect 01 a
reductIOn In SOd,urn and haroroess e~pecteo
hom :ne ColoradO R,V{'r Salinltjt Control
Program wouk:! be negllQ'ble

1984 Review-Wal... Quality
Standards

PublIC meetings were held In ROCk
Spnngs Wyommg. on June 25. 1984 and In
Las Vegas Nevada, on June 27. 1984, to
diSCUSS the 1984 Rev.ew- Warer Quality
Standards for Salinity. ColoradO River
System prepared by the Colorado Rilier
Basin Salinity ContrOl FOr\.lm
FollOWing those meetings. the
Supplemental Report on the '984 Rev>ew
was prepared and released
The Forum has sent copies of the
Supplemental Report and the 1984 RevleY< to
the Gave-rnors of the seven Colorado RIVer
Basin States With the recommendation the
states adOpt the reports as the'r standards tor
water Quality

BenefICial Saline Strategies

The search for more migatlOll water, and
the problems caused oy saline drainage. has
prompted the US Department 01
Agncullufl;'S Salinity labOratory 10
rE<€'l(amlne the Quality cntena lor Irrigation
water Jim RhOades. Research leader.
descrlt>es a strategy lor USing saline water tor
certain crops
A Strategy to contrOl the sal'!1Ity 01 nver
systems IS to Intercept drainage returns
betore lhey are mixed baCk In tnenver, and to
use them tar Imgatlon by substitUting them
lor the fIVer water normally used IOf IrrigatIOn
at certa,n perlodSdUflng the Irngalion season
of certam crops In a rotatIOn When the
drainage water Quality IS such that Its
potential for reuse IS exhausted. Ihefl thiS
drainage IS discharged to'Pvaporallon ponds
ThiS strategy Will conserve water. sustain
crop productiO!1. and mlnlml.le the salt
loading o! fivers that occurs Dy imgatlOn
rE'tum flow The amount of nver watef
diverted lor IrngallOn will also be reduced
The pnmary OOrectlve5 are to SUbStitute
drainage water for some 01 the nver waler
used lor ImgallO!1 WithOut Significant yiE!k1
reductIOn. lOSs In cropPing flexlollity, Of
Change 1!1 current larTT'lIng operations
The strategy IS to Imgate salt sensitIVe
crops (lettuce, alfalfa,etc,) In merotatfon wltn
fl'\Ier water ana salt tOlerant crops (conoo.
sugar beets. wheal, etc I Wlt/l dra\nagewater
For the tolerant crops, the SWitch to drainage