7409

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7409
• Author: U.S. Department of the Interior.
• Title: Quality of Water, Colorado River Basin.
• USFW Year: 1991.
• USFW - Doc Type: Progress Report No. 15,
• Copyright Material: NO

Chapter 1

Introduction

The Quality of Water, Progress Report No. 15
(Progress Report) was prepared by the Bureau of
Reclamation (Reclamation) of the Department of
the Interior (Interior), in cooperation with the
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), other
agencies of the Department of the Interior
including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Bureau
of Land Management (BLM); the Environmental
Protection Agency (EP A); and the Colorado
River Basin States of Arizona, California,
Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and
Wyoming. This Progress Report is the latest in
a series of biennial reports beginning in 1963.

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Chapter 1 covers the authorization and legal
aspects of this report. Chapter 2 gives a brief
description of the Colorado River Basin, the
subject of this report. Chapter 3 summarizes
Interior concerns with the water quality in the
basin. Chapter 4 reviews the causes and effects
of salinity, the most significant problem in the
basin. Chapter 5 looks at the salinity problem in
more depth, discussing many of the factors that
affect salinity. Chapter 6 details present and
future developments which will affect salinity in
basin. Chapter 7 summarizes details of the
Colorado River salinity control program which is
meant to offset the effects of man's developments
and preserve the resource for irrigation,
municipal, industrial, and other uses. Chapter 8
summarizes the results of the Colorado River
Simulation System (CRSS) salinity projections.
The projections start at present conditions and
predict flow and salinity through the year 2010.
Finally, chapter 9 summarizes water quality
studies relevant to this report.

AUTHORIZATION FOR REPORT

The directive for preparing this report is
contained in four separate public laws-Public
Law 84-485, Public Law 87-483, Public Law
87-590, and Public Law 93-320.

Public Law 84-485 states:

''The Secretary of the Interior is
directed to continue studies and make
a report to the Congress and to the
States of the Colorado River Basin on
the quality of water of the Colorado
River."

Public Law 87-483 states:

"The Secretary of the Interior is
directed to continue his studies of the
quality of water of the Colorado River
system, to appraise its suitability for
municipal, domestic, and industrial
use and for irrigation in the various
areas in the United States in which it
is used or proposed to be used, to
estimate the effect of additional
developments involving its storage
and use (whether heretofore
authorized or contemplated for
authorization) on the remaining water
available for use in the United States,
to study all pqssible means of
improving the quality of such water
and of alleviating the ill effects of
water of poor quality; and to report
the results of his studies and
estimates to the 87th Congress and
every 2 years thereafter."

Public Law 87-590 stipulates that January 3
would be the submission date for the report.

Public Law 93-320 states:

"Commencing on January 1, 1975, and
every 2 years thereafter, the
Secretary shall submit,
simultaneously, to the President, the
Congress, and the Advisory Council
created in Section 204(a) of this title,
a report on the Colorado River salinity
control program authorized by this