WSPC02841

• File Number: 8272
• Description: Colorado River - Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program - CRBSCP
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 9/1/1989
• Author: DOI-BOR
• Title: Office of the Inspector General Audit Report - Survey Report on the Review of the CRBSCP
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

0(;2188

reservoirs were available
parties were satisfactorily
situation at Well ton-Mohawk.

to replace
served by

the
the

bypassed drainage and
River system despite

all
the

Plant ooeratin~ costs. The projected costs to desalt Wellton-Mohawk
irrigation drainage have risen dramatically since use of the desalting
plant was originally authorized by Congress. When the plant becomes
operational in 1992. the Bureau will begin to incur annual operation and
maintenance costs that are projected to range becveen $6 million (no
drainage processing) and $25 million (maximum drainage processing). The
actual costs incurred will depend on the quantity of Well ton-Mohawk
irrigation drainage water needed to help fulfill Mexico' s annual water
allocation and the corresponding level of plant operation necessary to
desalt that amount of drainage.

If all Wellton-.Mohawk irrigation drainage is desalted to satisfy the
commitment and the plant operates every year, we estimate that it will
cost about $316 an acre-foot for the desalting process. This is in
contrast to the projection of $75 an acre-foot computed by the Bureau in
1973 just prior to enactment of the enabling legislation. The cost lier
acre-foot is not a static figure, and it will vary upward considerably
depending on the amount of drainage that actually needs desalting, For
example, for scenarios where the plant is operated an average of 67, 40,
20, and 10 percent of the time, the projected acre-foot cost rises to
$354, $430, $620. and $1.000, respectively. . This is significant because
the plant will not always be at full operation.

r-'
.J.
,i..

The high projected cost for the operation of the plant recently came
under the scrutiny of the Office of Management and Budget during its
budget formulation process for fiscal year 1989. In the 1989 budget
passback, the Bureau was requested to develop and submit an analysis of
the economic feasibility of operating the plant, including an analysis of
alternative means to comply with the required salinity standards. The
Office of Management and Budget requested the analysis because it was not
convinced that the benefit derived from the plant would ou~eigh even the
annual operations and maintenance costs. The Bureau advised us that it
informally discussed the issue with an Office of Management and Budget
"examiner." but a formal analysis was not submitted, as originally
requested,

We agree with the Office of Management and Budge t' 5 concern because the
operating costs seem to have risen to the point where the desal ting
program may no longer be considered reasonable or economically desirable,
especially since these costs will be incurred to remove the salt
pollution attributable to a single irrigation district.

Plant caoabil i ties, I t appears that under certain condi Cions, che
desalting plant lacks the capability to remove sufficient sal:: from the
Well ton-Mohawk irrigacion drainage to meet the established water
standards. Thus, despite estimated capital investments of as much as
$485 million and the potential incurrence of $25 million in annual
operating costs, the Bureau may at times be in a position of either
giving water to Mexico that was allocated to the states or not meeting

,