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<br /> <br />Colorado River Basin Salinity Conlrol Project, and <br />Colorado River Water Quality <br />Improvement Program <br />(General Overview) <br /> <br />Colorado River Basin States: Arizona, California, <br />Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming <br /> <br />Upper and Lower Colorado Regions <br />Bureau of Reclamation <br /> <br />The Colorado Rh'er Basin Salinit}, Control Act, Publi(' <br />Law 93-320. authorized the construction, operation, and <br />maintenance of works in the Colorado Ri..'er Basin to <br />control the salinity of water deli..'ered to Mexico. Title I <br />of the 8Ct (programs downstream from Imperial Dam) <br />authorized construdion of the Desalting C.omplex, <br />Coachella Canal, and the Protecti..'e and Regulatory <br />Pumping Units. These are primarily water recoH>ry units, <br />and were either completed or under construction in <br />1983. Tille II of Ihc acl (programs upslream from <br />Imperial Dam) authorized construetion of the Paradox <br />Valley and Grand Valley Units in Colorado, the Crystal <br />Ge}'ser Unit in Utah. and the Las Vegas Wash Unit in <br />Ne\-'ada. Ad\'ance planning studies or construction ac- <br />tivities were underway on lhrt~e of these four units in <br />1983. <br /> <br />Also authorized under Title II was the authority to <br />expedite completion on planning reports on 12 units <br />described in the Se(:retary'8 report, "Colorado Rh'cr <br />\Vater Quality Impro\'ement Program, February 1972." <br />Public Law 96.375. daled October 3, 1980. authorized <br />feasibility studies on 9 of these units, plus the Meeker <br />Dome Unit. These investigations are classified in three <br />categories: (1) irrigation source l'ontrol. (2) point source <br />control, and (3) diffused source control. <br /> <br />COLORADO RtVER BASIN SALlNtTY <br />CONTROL - TITLE I <br /> <br />Programs Downslrellm From Imperial Dam <br /> <br />Title I of the ael permits implementation of the pro- <br />visions of Minute No. 242. This minute. formaH)' ap- <br />proved hy the United Statc8 and Mexico on Augu8t 30. <br />1973. is an agreement by the two governmenls which <br />pro\-'ides that Ihe Uniled States shall adopt measures to <br />ensure that 1.36 million acre-feet of water delh'ered <br />annually to Mexico upslream of Morelos Dam shall ha\'e <br />an average salinity of no more than 115 :t 30 parts per <br /> <br />Region Rt'",i~ion l/8~ <br />(F rom Projt'i:t Dala Book) <br /> <br />million over Ihe annual a\'erage salinily of Colorado <br />River water arri\-'ing al Imperial Dam. The agreement <br />further provides for Ihe Uniled States 10 deli\'er to <br />I\']exico, across the land boundary at San Luis, Ariz.., and <br />in the Limitrophe Section of the Colorado Ri\'er down- <br />stream from Morelos Dam. approximately 140,000 acre- <br />feet of water annually. with salinity substantially the <br />same as thai of waler customarily deli\'ered there. The <br />minute also pro\'ided that the concrete-lined Main <br />OUllet Drain Extension (MODE) be exlended from <br />Morelos Dam to Ihe Santa Clara Slollgh in Mexico at <br />United Slates expense. <br /> <br />Included in Ihe Desahing Complex Unit are strudural <br />measures consisling of: (1) a memhrane-process desahing <br />plant. a pretrealmenl plant. and the necessary appurte- <br />nant works to treat drainage Willer from the Welhon- <br />Mohawk Division, Gila Project; (2) extension of the <br />concrele-lined bypass drain from Morelos Dam to the <br />Santa Clara Slough in Mexico; and (3) replacement of an <br />existing metal flume in the MODE with a concrete <br />siphon. Nonstructural measures consist of: (1) an irri- <br />gation efficiency impro\-"cment program in the W"ellton. <br />Mohawk Dh'ision: (2) an irrigable acreage reduclion <br />program in the Welhon-Moha\\o'k Di\'ision; and (3) ac- <br />quisition of land. if needed, in the Corps of Engineers' <br />Painted Rock Resenoir. <br /> <br />In connection with the desalting plant. but to be in- <br />\'estigated independenlly, Section 101t' of the act aulh- <br />orized the Reject Slream Replacement Study to iden- <br />tif)" feasible measures which could adequately replace <br />the water lost through reject from the Y lima Desah- <br />ing Planl and all)" Wellton-Mohawk drainage water <br />bypassed to Ihe Santa Clara Slough. The source of an)' <br />E.uch replacement water was limited by the act to the <br />States of Arizona, Colorado, California, New Mexico_ and <br />those portions of Nevada. Utah, and "'loming which are <br />within the natural drainage basin of the Colorado Rh'er. <br />The act also specified a study completion date no laler <br />than June 30, 1980. <br />