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<br /> <br />r:;;, <br /> <br />portion of a basinwide program that could be located in the <br />Lower Colorado Region. There is considerable difference of <br />opinion among the seven basin states regarding the need for a <br />salinity improvement program. A statement setting forth the <br />position of the states is included in the section delineating <br />the salinity improvement program. <br /> <br />.... <br />.... <br />(,,' <br />~ <br /> <br />The salinity projections presented in Table 1 indicate the <br />estimated effects of continued development in the absence of <br />any augmentation programs for the basin or any salinity improve- <br />n~nt measures and also the estimated effects of salt load <br />reduction if the suggested basinwide salinity improvement program <br />is undertaken. <br /> <br />Ground Water Management <br /> <br />A ground water quality management program is needed to <br />protect the quality of the vital ground water supplies of the <br />Region. The need is critical in the Central Arizona area to <br />prevent further degradation in chemical quality. <br /> <br />Because of the intense use of water, the non-degradability <br />of salts, and the absence of any significant outflow from the <br />Central Arizona area, the ultimate repository for salts is the <br />soil profile or the ground water mass. Under these conditions, <br />deterioration of ground water quality seems inevitable. To date, <br />water quality degradation has occurred, but only in localized <br />areas. The timing of the overall problem on an area-wide basis <br />has not been predicted because of the complex nature of the <br />ground water aquifers, including the presence of gypsum and salt <br />deposits, and the diverse and intensive pattern of water use in <br />the area. <br /> <br />By the year 2000 additional augmentation through a regional <br />importation program will begin to eliminate the ground-water <br />overdraft in the area. The importation of Colorado River water <br />in the Central Arizona Project area will convey additional salts <br />to this basin. Without augmentation the increased rate of ground <br />water overdraft may also result in degradation of ground water <br />quality as well as having other adverse effects. Further studies <br />are needed to define the problem and offer solutions. <br /> <br />Subsurface return flows from irrigated lands are expected to <br />accumulate in some localized areas after augmentation. More than <br />300,000 acre-feet per year of drainage water is estimated to be <br />available near Buckeye, Arizona by 2020. A nuclear dual-purpose <br />desalting plant of 150 mgd capacity is suggested to treat this <br />drainage water for reuse. <br /> <br />11 <br /> <br />