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Oi;2Z'5--r" 44/Friedkin The desalting complex being constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation is about 75% complete and is expected to eome on line in 1991. It is planned to have an installed capacity of 72.4 million gallons per day]9 so that it can handle a total drainage flow from the Wellton-Mohawk District of about 108,000 acre- feet annually, down from the original capacity of 167,000 acre- feet. The redesign reflects projections of improved irrigation efficiency measures in the District that reduce the need for de- salting. Desalted waters will be blended with other waters in the river to deliver water of the quality promised to Mexico. The brine from the plant and other Wellton-Mohawk drainage wa- ters to be bypassed to the Santa Clara slough are expected to to- tal about 29,000 acre-feet annually. This is the estimated amount that must be replaced under the Salinity Control Act in order to avoid a loss of water to Untted States users when there are no surplus waters. Construction has been completed on the extension of the Wellton-Mohawk bypass drain that wUl cany the brine reject stream from the desalting plant and bypasses of Wellton-Mo- hawk drainage waters to the S~ta Clara slough, and on a new concrete-lined canal to replace the former unlined portion of the Coachella Canal. The Bureau of Reclamation's current es- timate of the total construction costs is $400 million.2o An- nual operation and maintenance costs are estimated to be $30 million. The Bureau of Reclamation has partially completed the protective well fields along the border, which are estimated to cost $32 million. The United States is fulfilling its obligation under the 1973 agreement with Mexico for a "Permanent and Definitive Solution of the International Problem of the Salinity of the Colorado River" expressed in Minute No. 2422] through its funding and implementation of the Colorado River Ba~in Salinity Control Act. Moreovltr, the Colorado River Basin states will be protected against any loss of water or direct mon- etary eosts because of the agreement with Mexico. Although the United States agreed in Minute No. 242 to "provide nonreim- bursable assistance. . . for those aspects of the Mexican reha- bilitation program of the Mexicali Valley relating to the salin- ity problem, including tile drainage:'22 Mexico has not re- quested such assistance apparently because its engineers de- termined that tile drainage was not needed. Planning and construction of salinity control works is progressing under TItle II of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act. The program allows upper basin development and guards against future salinity problems for downstream users in the Untted States and Mexico. Four salinity control units