WSPC04232

• File Number: 8272.500.10
• Description: Colorado River Basin Water Quality-Salinity-Organizations-Colorado Dept of Public Health-WQCC
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 8/26/1976
• Title: Colorado River Salinity-Water Quality Control Commission-1975 Standards-Notice of Final Adoption
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

Source:. "The Nineral Quality Problem
in the Colorado River Basin,
Summary Report". EPA. 1971

TABLE 1

EFFECTS OF VARIOUS FACTORS OF SALT LOADING
A'r HOOVER DAM

(1942-61 Period of Record Adjusted to 1960 Conditions)

Factor

: : Portion of
Salinity Concentration : Salinity Concentration
: at Hoover Dam . at Hoover Dam
.
Salt Load Percent ; Ascribable to Ascribable to
(in Millions of Each Source 11 ; Each Source y'
of Tons) Salt Load . mg/l Percent
.
5,41 50.4 275 39
1.28. 11.9 59 8
3.54 33.0 253 37
(3.5/.) (33.0) (178) (26) ,/
(0) (0) (75) (ll )
0.15 1.4 10 1
-0.04 -0.4 20 3
0.00 0.0 80 12
0.39 -1.:.1 0 0
10.73 100.0 697 100

-------

Natural Diffuse Sources

Natural Point Sources

Irrigated Agriculture
Salt Loading

I
f-'
VJ
I

Salt Concentrating

Municipal and Industrial

Exports Out of the Basin

Evaporation and
Phreatophytes

Storage Release From
Hoover y

'"'1
IlJ
0'
I~
cD

,J

TOTAL

l\:)
to
tv
a
1/ tn. addition to increases in salinity from salt loading, some factors also cause salinity
increases by removal of dilution \'later. 'rhe changes shown mt'lv res1l11~, f'rom either or both.
.'Ii Computed annual values for balancing based upon t,he net drawndown over the 1942-61 period.