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<br />..... <br />w;,.. <br />.J <br />CJ:) <br /> <br />INTROOUCTION/BACKG ROU NO <br /> <br />This report fulfills the requirement of 1995 amendments to the Colorado River <br />Baein Salinity Control Act to present a complete report to Congress on its <br />public review and implementation plan for Reclamation's Basinwide Salinity <br />Control Program. The new program is designed to make administration of the <br />Salinity Control Program more flexible and responsive to new and innovative <br />approaches. <br /> <br />The total annual salt loading to the Colorado River is about 9 million tons <br />per year. About half of the present salt concentration in the river can be <br />attributed to natural sources, while the remainder is human induced. In their <br />1988 report, the Milliken Chapman Research Group estimated total salinity <br />damages in the United States portion of the Lower Colorado River Basin at $311 <br />million annually, based on the 1976-85 average level of salinity. Salinity <br />was relatively low during this period due to dilution caused by <br />extraordinarily high runoff in the early 1980's. Since that time, salinity <br />has returned to more normal levels, Lower basin damages are now approaching <br />$1 billion per year. These impacts accrue mainly to municipal, industrial and <br />agricultural water users in the Lower Basin where salinity is the highest. <br />Although unquantified, damages in the Republic of Mexico can be severe. <br />Salinity entering Mexico is among the highest in the basin. <br /> <br />3 <br /> <br />I <br />