WSPC02617 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

t' .. .. ~ . r-', U,- .....U ,:~ f . 1991 Annual Progress Report Water Quality standards for salinity Colorado River System August 1992 Prepared by the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum INTRODUCTION In 1975, the seven-state Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum (Forum) prepared a report which included numeric criteria and a plan of implementation and recommended that each state adopt the report as its Colorado River Basin salinity standards. Each of the Colorado River Basin states adopted the recommended standards which were approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in November 1976. The Clean Water Act requires that water quality standards be reviewed at least once each three-year period. Accordingly, in 1978, 1981, 1984, 1987, and again in 1990, the Forum reviewed the existing state-adopted and EPA approved salinity standards. Based on the 1990 Review, the Forum found no reason to recommend changes in the numeric criteria. . The plan of implementation requires that the Forum's permanent Work Group analyze the progress and results of the salinity control program as well as other actions in the Basin which impact on the River's salinity. In addition, the states, through the Forum, have agreed to submit an annual report to the Environmental Protection f Agency and to the state's water resource and pollution control agencies summarizing the results achieved by the salinity control ti program and the effects of 9-ther s1fITn--rt\?-}:rif'11l"'ncin~ actions in- the Basin having anctnfluence on s~. This report covers the-- period October 1, 1990 to September '0, 1991. The salinity control activities are moving forward but not as rapidly as had been proposed in the plan of implementation. Fiscal contraints have not provided the necessary federal funding needed to carry out the program. The non federal partners have their funding in hand and are ready in move forward. As of this reporting period, 230,000 tons of salt are being removed annually from the River system as a result of salinity control activities. By the year 2010, it is estimated that a total of 1,487,000 tons must be removed annually in order to maintain the salinity standards. WATER SUPPLY . The natural (undepleted-unregulated) flow at Lee Ferry, as determined by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) for the water years 1973 through 1991 is shown on Table 1.