WSP11096

• File Number: 8273.100
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control - Federal Agency Reports - BOR
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 6/1/1998
• Title: Salinity Management Study - Final Report - DRAFT - June 1998 - Part 1 of 2 - Title Page through
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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USBR/MWD SALINITY MANAGEMENT STUDY
FINAL REPORT

Figure 2-8

Commission and the Colorado~
River Basin Salinity Control
Act in 1973 and 1974,
respectively. In addition, the~'
seven basin states fonned the
Colorado River Basin Salinity
Control Forum for the purpose
of interstate cooperation and to,
provide the states with the
infonnation necessary to
comply with Sections 303(a)
and (d) of the Clean Water Act.
Prior to 1974, evaluation of the
impacts associated with '
changing levels of IDS had not
been included in the economic
analyses of future water-related '
projects. This led to
development of economic
impact estimates of many
hundreds of millions of dollars
annually from use of CRW in
the Lower Basin (1978, 1980,
and 1988). The Colorado River
Basin Salinity Control Program, which is managed by the federal government and the basin
states, undertakes staged measures to offset salinity contributions of new development to meet
the adopted salinity criteria (Figure 2-8). Technical Appendix 1 provides detailed infonnation
on the Colorado River Salinity Control Program. The USBR has developed sophisticated
modeling to plan the staging of measures to reduce the salt load in the Colorado River.

Colorado River
Numeric Criteria for Salinity

'-Below Hoover Dam
723 mg/t.

CAllFOllNIA
MEXICO

'- Below Parker Dam
747 mg/t.
At Imperial Dam
879 Mg/L

AJ:120NA
MEXICO

Starting in the early 1970s with the initial Metropolitan deliveries from the SWP, blending of
SWP and CRW supplies and using relatively low TDS supplies of the SWP for groundwater
replenishment, became a policy objective in some areas (see Figure 2-9 for the historic SWP
and CRW salinity). Basin Plans were developed by the RWQCBs to address basin-wide salt
balance issues. However, some of those Basin Plans were based on optimistic assumptions
made in the 1970s about the amount of SWP water available, and expected improvements in
salinity of imported water. During the historic high Colorado River flows (1983-1986),

BOOKMAN-EDMONSTON Section 2
ENGINEERING, INC. 2-9 Salinity Problems, Impacts, & Technology
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