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i' 'I' r_{, > ; l~V\ ~ t, 1-'"' c 1\(' \ -. [) . " h(\ ' ,~I) ~\J fI..' " .x _ !- " , \_V w ~. N ~ . . farming leaches salts from the saline soils found in the Basin, either through the type of irrigation or deliberately to protect the root-zones of crops. Livestock grazing increases saline runoff through soil dis- turbance and consumption of vegetation. The salinity of the C6loradq has both regional and national im- pacts. Regionally, irrigation of crops with excessively saline water can reduce yields and even prohibit growing certain types of crops. Do- mestic use of saline water can require extra treatment (softening) to improve palatability for drinking and cooking. Even so, saline water can damage plumbing, utensils and clothing, These regional "penalty costs" of saline water use are described and quantified in Chapter II. Nationally, the impact of Colorado River salinity affects our relations with the nation of Mexico. Minute 242 of the International Boundary and Water Commission of the United States and Mexico addressed the problem in 1973 with the result that the United States agreed to deliver 1.5 maf of Colorado River water each year which is at an aver- age annual salinity no greater than 115 ppm ~ 30 ppm more than that mea- sured at Imperial Dam, Moreover, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Water and Power Resources Service (\;FRS), and the seven CRE states have adopted a Rolicy of maintaining a salinity level at __--w-________ ___ ~_ ._.,~.~~_ Imperial Dam no greater than 819" ppm. Chapter II describes the actions which have been taken to fulfill this obligation, '\ .' \ \ i Water use related to energy development in the CRE. The physi- cal description of the Basin indicates the wide area which the waters of the Colorado serve. These waters currently irrigate 2.5 million acres and serve more than 2.5 million people in the Basin and a pop;i~- tion exceedi~--2mInioo' and hundreds~ofi:Iiou'sandso-r-;;:cres of farmland qutside of the B"siil:" Usage estimates from the seven Basin states in- dicate tll;rCCaIffornia, Arizona and Nevada have already or will soon have exhausted their Compact allotments. Table I presents the moderate water use estimates of the states for 1979, 1985, 1990 and 1995. Note that California's allotment will be reduced by 1990. \ Although a first glance at Table I would indicate that energy consumption of 10 percent of Upper Basin water causes no water supply problem, it should be remembered that the historic water supply remains uncertain. It is also important to note that most of the large storage reservoirs (Lake Powell, Lake Mead, etc.) are downstream from the most intensive energy development. Coupled with the potential increase in salinity as more water is used, the water supply/water quality situation could become critical, In Colorado alone, predictions for energy development for a "most likely" case by 2000 include 54 million tons of coal production per year, 12,000 Megawatts of steam-electric power, 400,000 barrels per day of oil shale production, 250 million Scf/day of coal gasification, 11 million tons per year in coal slurry pipelines, 300,000 barrels per 3 I .J