WSP10764 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

CJ W 0) ~ C- o WATER QUALITY Salinity is the major water quality problem in the Lower Colorado River Basin. Histori- cally, the Lower Colorado River has had a high salinity, even under natural conditions, and increased water use in the future will result in even higher salinity of the water delivered to the California agencies unless salinity control measures are initiated. This will result in increased costs for agricultural and urban water uses and cause other detri- mental effects. The Board is working with other basin states, federal government agen- cies, other California state agencies, and the Colorado River water contractors so that spe- cific programs will be developed to reduce the river's salt load. A major portion of the Board's Colorado River water quality activities are related to the Water O!Jality Act of 1965 and its re- quirements for the establishment of enforce- able water quality standards for interstate rIvers. Water Quality Act of 1965 State and federal officials agreed in 1968 to delay the setting of numerical salinity cri- teria for the Colorado River until after com- pletion of the Federal Water Pollution Con- trol Administration's water quality report which was expected at that time to be ready by the end of 1968. On January 7, 1969, FWPCA representatives presented a prog- ress report on their Colorado River salinity studies and indicated its availability in a few months. Data presented at that meeting showed that, with the hydrologic conditions assumed for the study and the specific as- sumptions of Upper Basin depletions, the river's salinity at Hoover Dam would in- crease from about 700 parts per million (ppm) at present to about 975 ppm by the year 2010. The Colorado River Board staff pointed out the unrealistic values for water losses in the Lower Basin used in the study and recommended the report's revision to re- flect realistic future conditions. FWPCA re- presentatives outlined future studies that would answer such questions as what meas- ures can be taken to alleviate salinity, the costs of such measures, and who should pay for the measures. It was estimated that the additional studies would take from four to six years to complete. On January 9, 1969, Secretary of the Interi- or Stewart Udall sent a letter to Governor Ronald Reagan stating that the water quality control policies submitted in accordance with the Water O!Jality Control Act of 1965 for the Colorado, New, and Alamo Rivers were approved with certain exceptions. The exceptions pertain to the temperature, bac- teriological and radiological objectives then in the process of being determined for all California interstate streams. Also, the Secre- tary suggested that in the event Mexico im- proved the quality of water released into the New and Alamo Rivers California should reevaluate its standards for these rivers. On February 6, 1969, the Colorado River Basin Regional Water O!Jality Control Board held a public hearing on proposed tempera- ture and radiological objectives for the Colorado River. The Colorado River Board staff pointed out the discrepancies between the proposed California and Arizona stand- ards and suggested appropriate action. On March 6, 1969, the State Water Re- sources Control Board (SWRCB) held a hear- ing on proposed temperature objectives for the Colorado River. Chief Engineer Holburt pointed out that the recommended Depart- ment of Fish and Game temperatures that were being considered are not workable and enforceable in view of historical river tem- peratures. The temperature limits proposed have been exceeded in most months of each year, and make no allowance for the agricul- tural returns along the river. The Chief Engineer's recommendations 39 .11