<br />-'. ......, .. ,., .. .. ... · · .. · ::Iiki.~~I'1ft~
<br />Editor's note: This is a report I to return their water to the Industrial. dere.k>... €nr'lii';the
<br />QIl an environmental crisis that river while California often Colorado River;;
<br />cou.ld significantly effect Colo- doesn't, and it was the salt C{l&- affected by,~,
<br />rado and other Colorado River tent in Arizona return floW$ to salinity pro -""
<br />states. It also accentuates the the river that initially caused will be
<br />awareness that air and wate!" salinity in the rivet' to become Kaiparowitf
<br />pollution doesn't respect na- an international problem back
<br />tiooal boundaries. in 1961. (Of the tDtal amount of
<br />WAS H I N GTON-Herbert water used for irrigatioo. water
<br />Brownell Jr., now at a vacation engineers estimate that one-balf
<br />hideaway, is bonH'lg up on Colo- returns to the river, and that is
<br />rado Rh.er salinity as the Pres- known as return [low.)
<br />ident Nixon's special represent- That the Colorado River is
<br />ative to evaluate the critically getting increasingly Wine is
<br />important problem of salt in agreed OR all sides. Recent
<br />the Colorado Rivet'-8 problem studies by the Eovironmetttal
<br />poisoning U.S.*Mexican rela. Protection Agency (EPA) and
<br />tions. by the Bureau of Reclamation
<br />Brownell is under orders document UIa1 fact.
<br />from Presideot Nixon, who ALL SIDES
<br />uamed the e.J:-attorney gmeral Southern California water :iJl..
<br />arbiter ol the dispute oa Aug. t ere s t s already have their
<br />16, "to find a permanent, water tied down by actual use.
<br />definitive and just solution" by But the four Upper Basin
<br />the year's end to Conrado states-Colorado, New Mexico,
<br />River water salinity. Utah and Wyoming-and the
<br />For the record, Brownell is to two Lower Basis states of
<br />look at the problem of rising Arizona and Nevada are just in
<br />salt co.ntent in the Colorado the process: of using their allot.
<br />River, to meet Mexico's de- ted shares of Colorado River
<br />mands fur usable water from water. They are terribly coo-
<br />the river at the international cemed that their share of the
<br />border. The United States is River will either be shaved or
<br />bound by a 1944 treaty to their use of Colorado River cur*
<br />deliver 1,500,000 acre.feet of tailed by the salinity problem
<br />water annually from the Colora* vis-a-vis Mexico,
<br />do Riyer to Mexico, There is no The powerful Office of Budget
<br />mention about water quality in sid - Management (OMB) is
<br />the treaty. reluctant to allow funding of
<br />But from a practical point of new water development proj-
<br />view, Brownell's rewmmen- ects In the Upper Basin States.
<br />dawns to the Pre;ident will Tbat the Savery-Pot Hook Proj.-
<br />also determine what is to be eel on the Colorado-Wyoming
<br />done about Colorado River border has again been shelved
<br />salinity along the entire 1.400 i.s Indicative of its attitude.
<br />miles of the' river from its DEFER MORE
<br />source in the Rocky Mouotainll The Colorado River salinity
<br />of Colorado until it empties into problem could be aad probably
<br />the Gulf of California. will be the handle that OMB
<br />The seven Colorado River uses to defer more Upper Basin
<br />Basis states-Arizona, Califor- projects in the future, many -of-
<br />nia, Colorado. Nevada, New ficia1s here belleve, Future
<br />Mexico. Utah and Wyoming- Upper Basin water development
<br />will be affected, along with will be in competition for -feder*
<br />Mexico. by Brownell's rerom- at dollars that will be needed to
<br />mendatioos to the President. build various types of desalting
<br />Southern California cannot projects on the Colorado River.
<br />help but be beneficially affected The Bureau of Reclamation
<br />by any means of reducing the has proposed a lo-year program
<br />salt C(llltent of the river be- [or mitigating the salinity in
<br />cause the Colorado's waters are the river which carries a $500
<br />used extensively_ million price tag.
<br />SAME QUALITY The billion-dollar Central ArI.
<br />President Luis Echeverria AI. zone Project, Just at the point
<br />varez of Mexico is insisting that of being started, runs the same
<br />Mexico receive the same qua}i* risk. Rich Johnson, e:rtartive _
<br />ty of. Colorado River water at director of the Central Arizona
<br />the international border as -that Pro j e c t Association, said.
<br />delivered at lmperia! Dam in "There may indeed be a moral
<br />the United States. obligation" for the United
<br />Imperial Dam is the last big States "to deliver water of
<br />delivery point of Colorado River reasonably good quality to
<br />water in the United States on users In Mexico; but there i.s at
<br />the river. It serves the two big least an equally compelling
<br />irrigation distriCts in extreme moral obligatioa on the part of ::1
<br />Southern California-Coachella the United S1ate3 gnvernment ."{.
<br />Valley and Imperial to resolve the salinity problem
<br />Imperial Dam also makes without damaging the rights of
<br />some water deliveries to Ari- water users in Arizona and
<br />rona water usen in the Yuma other states 01 the Colorado
<br />~:-~ water usen have River Basin."
<br />
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<br />
<br />.;-".,. . in Colorado, Although the appointment olio! SaliRe Water (OSW), EPA nia water interests, toroier
<br />".,Y"""'. " will also Brownell is widely regarded ~Sland ~tate ~partment that Sen: Thomas E. Kuch',I, ,..R..'
<br />.. ,look, as large- an excellent choice, there IS there: IS no QUlcK., cheap solu- Calif., and Southern CalU'Ol'Iiia
<br />[ihale development universal agreement among lion. congressmen got provislon3in
<br />\a lOt of water ago water experts here in the The White Hosue is in the the legislation authorizing;':~
<br />the"salinfty problem. Bureau of Reclamation. Office process of setting up for Brow- Upper Colorado storage project
<br />.r ''-. . oeD "an interagency task force in 1956, the Navajo-San.JlIaI'J
<br />of technical experts and spe- Chama projects: in New Me;ico
<br />cialists" to help him, Among in 196Z and tbe Fry~
<br />the federal agencies expected to Arkansas project in Colorado:in
<br />be represented on the task 1962 calling for salinity ~.
<br />force are the Dep.artments of on the ri~.er by tile B~l!::;~
<br />State, Interior, Army (Corps or Reclamation. . '':.':.;'f~
<br />Engineers), Agriculture, EPA, Funding for these. stud.l,eli:.ftt
<br />OMB and the OffIce of Science toe 1973 fiscal year 1$ ~,~~
<br />and Teclmology. - about $1 million over:._'~
<br />It is likely that tbert' will also budget estimates - duEt :to~et-
<br />be representatioo. from the fortS by lval V. Goslin- ~~
<br />Committee of 14 _ 11m water Upper Coklrado River ~
<br />experts from each Colorado sian, M~ B. HoIhurt Of;tj1e
<br />River Basin state. Tbere will be CoI~do River Board ot,.~
<br />much jockeying by both federal fonua and others. : D.-";
<br />agencies and the Colorado FIRST ClUSIS. . .. .::~-~:~
<br />River Basin states to get on tJreo The first salinity. ~ at~
<br />BrowneII task force, on tile Colorado River 1n ~9t,!-
<br />Then a prolonged droogh<;-:t!>e
<br />MAKE CERTAIN filling of L.ake Powell ~ ~
<br />Also the Colorado River Basin Glen Canyon Damand'-liake
<br />state! want to make certain Navajo behind Navajo. ~:~
<br />that they will be included in the the C1:lmpletien of a ~;:
<br />decision-making process. Vice drainage system on the . ,_. ','
<br />President Spiro Agnew is in the Mc>hawk Division of t:h~~
<br />process of writing to Colorado Project in Arizooa, ~...f!P.
<br />River Basin state governors "the average annual sat~~,
<br />stating that they and their state the water received bY""Me:iX&i
<br />engineers will be "consulted ... from about 850 ~~~
<br />early in the game.>> salt) per million (~~
<br />For nearly 20 years the Colo- wa~) ~ lIearIy.l,~ ~.~
<br />rado River Board of California million, according to ~,$
<br />~:" :', . , A.P' Wl,..- has been concerned about salin- Gantz of the State De~
<br />yrSAIJ"NITY OF COLORADO RIVER ity in the Colorado RiVet. At This crisis was met 'P1i>:tlit
<br />
<br />lalinity problem of Colorado River," the request of Southern Califol'> Continued on po;_ ~>~
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<br />Colorado's
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<br />2074
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