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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />~ <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />STATEMENT TO BE DELIVERED AT PUBLIC HEARING TO REVIEW SALINIl~ <br />STANDARDS FOR THE COLORADO RIVER - GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO - <br />MARCH 14, 1980 <br /> <br />/9ktl <br />tv" cr.,. , s-zj / <br />s,.,~~ <br /> <br />by Michael J. Clinton, Chief, Colorado River Water Quality Office, <br />Water and Power Resources Service, Department of the Interior <br /> <br />Colorado River salinity standards are of special importance to the <br />Department of the Interior and the Water and Power Resources Service, <br />formerly the Bureau of Reclamation. We are charged with planning <br />and constructing the principal physical components of the plan of <br />implementation to maintain the adopted standards for the Colorado <br />River System. Thus, the standards have a direct bearing on the <br />Service's activities associated with development 'and management <br />of the water resources of the Colorado River Basin. <br /> <br />The Water and Power Resources Service endorsed the salinity standards <br />proposed by the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum and <br />adopted by the Basin States in 1975. We were continuously kept <br />informed of the progress of the Forum during the 1978 review of the <br />water quality standards. We appreciate having had the opportunity <br />to work with the Forum and each of the states in this endeavor. <br /> <br />We believe the approach of considering the total basiri as a single <br />operating entity is the most logical and workable method to meet <br />the overall objective of maintaining salinity levels in the lower <br />main stem,at or below 1972 levels, while water resource development <br />continues throughout the Basin. Our own independent analyses support <br />the conclusion that salinity levels at the three numeric criteria <br />stations will not exceed the numeric criteria during the next 3 years. <br />In fact, salinity levels have declined in the lower main stem each <br />year since 1972 due to a sequence of generally favorable runoff years <br />and a significant deviation in the runoff-salt load relationship for <br />the past several years. Our preliminary findings indicate a statis- <br />tically significant reduction in the salt load entering Lake Powell. <br />These factors, combined with a rate of development that is slower <br />than most earlier projections, leads us to believe that the salinity <br />concentrations will not increase significantly in the next 3 to 5 years. <br /> <br />The future salinity levels of the Colorado River system are primarily <br />dependent upon depletion levels and water supply. It has been observed <br />that Water and Power Resources Service projections of future salinity <br />levels are 'generally greater than those shown by the Forum's analyses. <br />The'Service's depletion schedules are generally comparable to those <br />classified as "high" by the Forum. Our depletion schedules have been <br />based upon optimal funding schedules which have simply not materialized <br />through the legislative process. The Service's prediction of water <br />supply in the biannual report on Colorado River Water quality has been <br />based upon the 1941 to date historical record, approximately 13.6 million <br />acre-feet of virgin flow at Lees Ferry. We now have the capability to <br />expand our data base to cover the period 1906 to date and propose doing <br />this for the 1981 report. We also propose expanding the predictions to <br />include probabilities of occurrences around those considered to be most <br /> <br />1471 <br /> <br /> <br />-- <br />