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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />002233 <br /> <br />CHAPTER II <br /> <br />RESOURCES AND USES <br /> <br />Salinity Problema <br /> <br />Increasing salinity concentrations of the flows of the Colorado <br />River and its tributaries is a matter of growing concern. In down- <br />stream areas the increasing salinity concentrations adversely affect <br />crop production and increase water treatment requirements and costs. <br />Analyses of water volumes and chemical composition indicate that the <br />Uncompahgre Project area is one of the major sources of the saline <br />content of Colorado River water. The Mancos shale formation contains <br />lsrge quantities of soluble salts and is the parent material of most <br />soils located northeast of the Uncompahgre River. The same formation <br />also underlies the mesa soils southwest of the river. <br /> <br />Based on available sampling data, it is estimated that an average <br />of about 393,000 tons of soluble salts are derived 9nnually from the <br />project area. The locations of the sampling points used to arrive at <br />the estimate are shown on the map on the following page. <br /> <br />~ <br />