WSP11786 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Water Quality Operations O.'.o-i.,o..~':..."~~,,..::....' l\merlcan Egret. looking for lunch below Imperial OIlm. ;Ince water quality aspects of Colorado River lperatlons are extensively described In the )Ienn/al series of reports entitled "Quality or Nater, Colorado River BasIn", only minimal 1iscussion of this aspect of operation Is >resented In this report. Report No. 11 of the Jlennlal series was Issued In December 1982. Juring water year 1983, the United States lypassed a total of 169,800 acre-feet through he Bypass Drain and Mode 3. Thla water was eplaced with a like amount of other water, lursuant to Minute No. 242 of the nternatlonal Boundary and Water ;ommlsslon. Jnd<ir the piovlslons of Minute No. 242, the lepubllc of Mexico Is entltlad to receive at ..1orelos Dam water of a Quality no worse than 15 perts per million (p/m)(.:t. 30 p/m)greater han that arriving at Imperial Darn. During later year 1983, the average salinity at the :olorado River at Imperial Dam was 755 p/m. luring that period the average salinity of the /stersat Morales Dam was 768 pJm, ssultlng In a salinity differential of 13 p/m, ,all within the provision of Minute No. 242. 6 The total flows In the Bypass Drain durin\! water year 1984 are estimated to be'about 150,000 acre-feet. A small amount of drainage water could be returned to the Colorado River below Morelos Dam during water year 1964. In recognizing the need to manage water quality of the Colorado River, It has been recommended that long-term salinity Increases In the rIver be controlled through a water quallty Improvement program generally described In the report, "Colorado River Water Quality Improvement Program", dated February 1972, and a status re'ilo.fto( tl;\e ee.me title, dated January 1974. The program calla for a basln.wlde approach to salinity control while the Upper Basin continues to develop Its compact-apportioned waters. The InUlal step towards Improvement of the Quality of the river's water was authorization by the Congress of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Project (Public Law 93-320), on June 24,1974. .~'.. , " I', ,'.'~ "..,'<'<,), oJ ,~_,!'.~~.J -t ;1~ :i:;~:~~~~~!~;;_,~~'\~~;~:\;?";~~- .\ ! '. . Lo~"';r'~ad~ dl~e-l;a;;; members.