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<br />OOJdJ~ <br /> <br />The results of the model simulations indicate that the additional water <br />produced in the Upper Basin has many positive benefits. During the demon- <br />stration program the average annual additional flow of 340,000 acre-feet will <br />end up in reservoir storage. This additional storage will provide additional <br />head for the hydroelectric power generators and result in an increased energy <br />production of 260,000,000 kilowatt~hours of electricity. The additional <br />water will also help reduce the salinity of the river, with an average annual <br />reduction in dissolved solids at Imperial Dam of 13 milligrams per liter. <br /> <br />Benefits resulting from 1,432,000 acre-feet of additional water during a <br />Basin.wide operational program will be even greater. Additional water would <br />not only be stored in reservoirs but a substantial portion would also flow <br />through the river system. These increases will produce an additional <br />1,720,000,000 kilowatt-hours of hydroelectric energy annually which would be <br />available to customers through the existing power marketing system. The <br />additional flow will be used to satisfy existing water demands (790,OOO acre- <br />feet), to make addit ional water avai 1 able to Mex ico (430.000 acre-feet), with <br />the remainder (212,000 acre-feet) becoming storage or lost to evaporatlon. <br />The average annual Bas ins tor age will increase by 71.000 acre-feet (45,000 acre- <br />feet in the Upper Basin and 26,000 acre-feet in the Lower Basin). The salinity <br />reduction at Imperial Dam will average 110 milligrams per liter annually. <br /> <br />The CREST Program will cost $88 million (1983 dollars) over 8 years. Bene- <br />fits include a proven technology and an estimated 340,000 acre-feet of water <br />produced annually within the Basin during the demonstration test periOd. The <br />additional water is valued at S11.9 million per year from increased hydro- <br />electric capacity and energy production, salinity reduction, and additional <br />water suppl ies. <br /> <br />Costs for a Basin-wide operational program are estimated to be between $12 <br />and 516 million per year depending on the relative use of ground and aircraft <br />seeding and the extent of the continuing requirements for environmental <br />monitoring. Production costs for the 2.263,000 acre-feet of increased water <br />supplies in the ColoradO River and the adjacent basins will, therefore, be <br />from 55 to 57 an acre-foot. <br /> <br />Model studies indicate that an increase of 1.432,000 acre-feet within the <br />Basin would produce economic benefits of 5123.4 million annually from the <br />following sources: 534.4 million from increased hydroelectric capacity and <br />energy prOduction based on 20 mill s per k ilowat t-hour. S56. 5 mill ion frOOl <br />salinity reduction based on an average value of S513,300 for each milligram <br />per liter reduction 1n dissolved solids at Imperial Dam, and $32.5 million <br />from additional water supplies to reduce deficits and for new uses. Addi- <br />tional benefits of $16.0 million will be realized trOOl the increased water <br />supplles in the adjacent basins (530 per acre-foot). The total benefits of <br />an operational progra~ are, therefore. estimated to be 5139.4 million per <br />year. <br /> <br />Thus, 562 worth of benefits will result for every acre-foot of additional <br />water produced 1n the region, and from 59 to 512 dollars worth of benefits <br />will be produced for every dollar spent to increase the water supplies (9:1 <br />to 12:1 benefit-to-cost ratio). The entire cost of the a-year CREST Program <br />is less than the value of benefits from 1 year of Basin-wide operations. <br /> <br />20 <br />