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There may be other stresses on the usable supply of <br />River water independent of future meteorological, conditions. <br />Salinity controls may at some point effect a reduction in the <br />amount of available water. Saline water emitted by natural <br />springs might be impounded.54 The Colorado Basin occupies <br />the bed of a vanished ocean and is underlain by highly saline <br />shale formations. Irrigation water percolating through the <br />ground tends to leach those salts into the River. Moreover, <br />evaporation from reservoirs serves to concentrate the salt in <br />the remaining water.55 Limitations on irrigation and storage <br />might conceivably be imposed to lower salt levels. Further- <br />more, the Mexican Treaty deprives the Basin states of water <br />in excess of its stated minimum delivery requirement because <br />of evaporation and channel losses which the United States <br />must sustain. ... the actual burden on the American water <br />supply occasioned by this guarantee is about 1.8 million.1156 <br />B. Restrictions On The Upper Basin <br />If the Compact is interpreted to require that the Upper <br />Basin release 7.5 m.a.f. at Lee's Ferry pursuant to Article <br />III (d) ,. as well as another 750,000 acre-feet pursuant to <br />Article III(c) to satisfy the Mexican Treaty, the Interior <br />Department has calculated that only 5.8 m.a.f. of the Upper <br />Basin's 7.5 m.a.f. Article III(a) apportionment would then be <br />available for Upper Basin use.57 (This number will be <br />regarded as ridiculously high when the 16th century dry cycle <br />is repeated.) An engineering study undertaken by Tipton and <br />-21-