WSP00051

• File Number: 8272.100.60
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 5/1/1990
• Author: CRBSCF
• Title: Report on the 1990 Review - Water Quality Standards for Salinity - Colorado River System
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

of municipal and industrial point source discharges. On September
W 11, 1980, the Forum adopted a pOlicy to encourage the use of
~ brackish and/or saline waters for industrial purposes where it is
en environmentally sound and economically feasible. A third policy
-J dealing with intercepted ground water was adopted by the Forum on
October 20, 1982. On October 28, 1988, a fourth policy which deals
specifically with discharges from fish hatcheries was adopted by
the Forum. All of the Forum policies are included in Appendix A:

Nothing in this report shall be construed to alter, amend,
repeal, interpret, modify, or be in conflict with the provisions
of the Boulder Canyon Project Act (45 Stat. 1057), the Boulder
Canyon Project Adjustment Act (54 Stat. 774), the Colorado River
Basin Project Act (82 Stat. 885), the Colorado River Compact, the
Upper Colorado River Basin Compact, or the Treaty with the United
Mexican States (Treaty Series 994).

This Review is consistent with the EPA-approved 1975, 1978,
1981, 1984, and 1987 Reviews and deals only with the portion of the
Colorado River basin above Imperial Dam. As used in this Review,
the lower main stem of the Colorado River System is defined as that
portion of the main river from Hoover Dam to Imperial Dam.

Below Imperial Dam, the river's salinity is controlled to meet
the terms of the salinity agreement with Mexico found in Minute No.
242 of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC),
entitled "Permanent and Definitive Solution to the International
Problem of the Salinity of the Colorado River." This agreement
states that measures will be taken to assure that the waters
delivered to Mexico upstream from Morelos Dam will have an average
annual salinity concentration of no more than 115 ppm (! 30 ppm)
total dissolved solids greater than the average annual salinity
concentration of Colorado River water arriving at Imperial Dam.
Title I of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act, Public
Law 93-320 is the legislation which implements the provisions of
Minute No. 242. Minute No. 242 of IBWC and Title I of PoL. 93-3?~
constitute a federal numeri0 criterion and plan,of implementation
for the river below Imperial Dam.

Program Funding

The success of the federal/state cooperative Colorado River
Salinity Control Program is contingent upon sufficient funding to
allow the plan of implementation to proceed as scheduled.

In fiscal years 1988, 1989, and 1990, the Colorado River basin
states urged the Congress to provide the Reclamation, the Bureau
of Land Management (BLM), and the Department of Agriculture (USD~;
with adequate funds to implement the authorized salinity control
program. The following is a summary of the Forum's funding
recommendations and the federal appropriations for Fiscal Years
1988, 1989, and 1990.

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