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

SUMMARY

W Section 303 of the Clean Water Act of 1977 requires that water
-...] quality standards be reviewed from time to time, but at least once
CJl during each three-year period beginning in 1972. Accordingly, the
00 seven-state Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum (Forum) has
reviewed the existing state-adopted and Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) approved numeric salinity criteria and plan of
implementation for salinity control for the Colorado River System.
Changes in hydrologic conditions and water use within the Colorado
River basin have been evaluated, and this Review presents the
recommended revisions to the plan of implementation which are to
be submitted to each of the Basin states for consideration at a
public hearing prior to adoption.

The Forum finds no reason to recommend changes in the numeric
salini ty criteria at the three lower main stem stations. The
numeric criteria at these stations are:

Below Hoover Dam
Below Parker Dam
Imperial Dam

Salinity in mg/l
723
747
879

The plan of implementation as set forth in the 1990 Review is
designed to meet the objective of maintaining the salinity
concentrations at or below the above numeric criteria while the
Basin states continue to develop their compact-apportioned waters.
The plan is based on the assumption of a long-term water supply of
15 million acre-feet annually. The Forum recommends that the plan
of implementation described in this report be carried out. The
plan of implementation includes:

1. Completion of the Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Land
Management, and the Department of Agriculture salinity control
measures shown in the following table, to the extent that each unit
remains viable and appropriately cost-effective. The plan's
current remaining federal construction costs for the Bureau of
Reclamation and the Department of Agriculture activities are
approximately $669 million.

2. Imposition of effluent limitations, principally under the
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit
program on industrial and municipal discharges by implementation
of the Forum-recommended "Policy for Implementation of Colorado
River Salinity Standards Through the NPDES Permit Program."

3. Implementation of the Forum-recommended "Policy for Use
of Brackish and/or Saline Waters for Industrial Purposes."

4. Implementation of the Forum-recommended "Policy for
Implementation of the Colorado River Salinity Standards Through
the NPDES Permit Program for Intercepted Ground Water."

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