WSP00431

• File Number: 8271.200.60
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program - Development and History - Ann Rpts-Reviews
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 12/1/1984
• Title: 1984 Review - Colorado River Salinity Standards
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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criteria at the three stations. Current salinity concen-

trations are running well' below the numeric criteria at all

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three stations.

The salinity of the Colorado River comes from natural

sources, irrigation return, reservoir evaporation, out-of-

basin exports, and municipal and industrial discharges.

Contributions from these sources is about 47% from natural

sources, 37% from irrigation, 12% from reservoir evaporation,

3% from ou~-of-basin exports and 1% from industrial and muni-

cipal uses. These percentages are expected to change somewhat

in the future.

The 1973 standards established numeric criteria at the

three stat~ons, Hoover, Parker, and Imperial Dams. They are
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723, 747, and 879, respectively. As part of this review, the

Forum cons~dered the changes that have occurred since 1980 the

base year or the 1981 study, through 1983.

One of the major items to be considered in predicting

future sal~nity levels is the projection of the level of future

water use ~hat will occur in the Basin. Each of the Basin

states sub~itted their best estimate to the Forum Work Group

as to what ~hey anticipated future development would be within

their respective states. Their projections included low,

moderate, Cind high development levels. The terminology "low,

moderate, and high" is not to be taken as implying that the

projection designated as moderate is the most probable on~.
Rather the three terms merely reflect the relative role of

increased use for one projection compared to another. The

low projections for the 1984 review are less than those used

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