BOARD00158

• Board Meeting Date: 12/12/1973
• Description: Agenda or Table of Contents, Minutes, Memos
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

the passage of the bill. In the meantime, the seven states do not
intend to support the agreement with Mexico and the construction of
a large desalting plant at the international boundary for the benefit
of Mexico until the states have some evidence that the United States
intends to treat its own citizens with the same consideration. It I
would be ridiculous to support a project for the benefit of the
Republic of Mexico and leave the Colorado River basin states holding
the bag for salinity abatement in the upper river.

I will throw it open now, Mr. Chairman, for any questions or comments.

Mr. Stapleton: Tell us a little more about the salinity forum. Is
it an official function, ad hoc, or what is it?

~tr. Sparks: It is composed of representatives of the seven states.
It originates primarily out cf the water pollution control agencies
of the seven states and we have been sending representatives to it.
~tr. Rozich of the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission is one of
the primary representatives from Colorado. Mr. Moses and Mr. Morrill,
who are on the Committee of Fourteen, have been attending the meetings
~lso representing this board.

Mr. Stapleton: Mr. Rhodes being the new minority leader of the House,
can he help us any next year?

Mr. Sparks: We hope that Mr. Rhodes will be of considerable assis-
tance. There is no real disagreement now among the seven states.
California which stands to gain by the salinity standards because it
just does not discharge water back into the Colorado River, except
for a small amount utilized from the Palo Verde Irrigation District,
is united with the other states in getting H. R. 744 or a similar
bill enacted in the Congress.

Mr. Stapleton: What does this involve in terms of gaging stations,
or sampling stations, is that the first requirement to find out what
the situation is or do we know that?

~tr. Sparks: Over the years we have enough records to know what the
salinity discharges are from each of the drainages in Colorado.

I

Mr. Stapleton: At the stateline?

Mr. Sparks: At the stateline. or near the stat~line. In some cases,
we have records going back fifty years or more. In more recent years,
we have increased the number of sampling stations in Colorado.

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