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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SUMMARY

The Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972,
PL 92-500, in Section 303 require the adoption of water quality

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standards applicable to interstate waters, Pursuant to that

requirement, the Environmental Protection Agency on December 18,

1974, issued a regulation requiring the states of the Colorado

River Basin to adopt water quality standards for salinity, con-

sisting of numeric criteria and plan of implementation for salinity

control. The standards are to be submitted for approval to the

Environmental Protection Agency on or before October 18, 1975.

This report, prepared by the 7-State Colorado River Basin

Salinity Control Forum, presents in a single document the water

quality standards for salinity submitted for adoption by each of

the states in the Basin. The standards are to be reviewed at 3-year
intervals and, modified, if appropriate.
Consistent with the regulation, the recommended flow-weighted

average annual numeric salinity criteria for three locations in

the lower main stem of the Colorado River System are as follows:

Salinity in mg/l

Below Hoover Dam

723
747
879

Below Parker Dam

Imperial Dam

The Plan of implementation comprises a number of federal and

nonfedera1 projects and measures to maintain the flow-weighted

average annual salinity in the lower main stem at or below the

recommended numeric criteria through 1990, as the Basin States

continue to develop their compact-apportioned waters. The principal
components of the plan are as follows:

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