WSP11033

• File Number: 8272.100.70
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 6/1/1975
• Author: CRBSCF
• Title: Water Quality Standards for Salinity Including Numeric Criteria and Plan of Implementation for Salinity Control
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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Statements by Officials of the
Department of the Interior

On January 30, 1968, Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall
testified at the hearings of the House Interior and Insular Affairs

Subcommittee on Irrigation and Recla~ation regarding water quality

standards. At that time, he presented a statement that contained

the following:

"Before discussing this problem further, I would
like to state that salinity standards will not be
established (for the Colorado River) until we have
sufficient information to assure that such standards
will be equitable, workable, and enforceable."

The same position was reiterated by Assistant Secretary of the
Interior Max Edwards in a letter dated February 12, 1968. This
letter also stated that the Department of the Interior intended to
pursue active programs to lay the foundation for setting numerical

standards at some future time.

Report of Environmental Protection Agency
In December 1971, the Environmental Protection Agency released
the results of an eight-year study relating to salinity of the
Colorado River. This report, entitled "The Mineral Quality Problem
in the Colorado River Basin", was prepared by the EPA based upon

its work and the work of its predecessor agencies

the Federal

Water Quality Administration, April 1970 to December 1970; the

Federal Water Pollution Control Administration, October 1965 to

April 1970; the Division of Water Supply and Pollution Control,

U. S. Public Health Service, prior to 1965. The report recommended

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