WSP01646

• File Number: 8273.100.40
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control - Federal Agency Reports - BOR
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 2/1/1989
• Title: Salinity Update - Special Edition February 1989
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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Diffuse source salinIty control multiple-use objectiveS and
activities involve watershed authorized uses, J.
management, land treatment, and
the collection and disposal of Salinity control is identified as a
irrigation return flows, Utah's Dirty resource issue in several resource
Devil River and Price-San Rafael management plans within the
Rivers Units, Wyoming's Big Sandy Colorado River Basin, :Through the
River Unit, Nevada's Lower Virgin planning system, a totiU of
River Unit, and NewMexico's 12 activity plans in Colorado, Utah,
SanJuan River Unit are identified and Wyoming were developed since
diffuse sources, 1983 in which salinity control has
l\.') been identified as one of the
CJ1 Saline Water Use and Disposal objectives,
CO Opportunllies: Past Reclamation
~ research activities include such Currently, BLM is concentrating
items as the use of saline water for on developing Comprehensive
cooling systems, solution mining Watershed Planning and Ec\>nomic
with saline water, power production Analysis procedures which will,be ,-1
from solar salt gradient ponds, ion tested on Colorado River Basin
exchange water softening, and use rangelands, The emphasis is on "
of saline water in a salt tolerant producing multiple use benefits
emergent plant process, Current including salt and reduction. The
activities are limited to seeking out "holistic approach" to tlie planning r
cost-sharing opportunities to process will evaluate various 1';'
beneficially use saline water (refer to alternatives including gfazing
"Where to Now'~ discussion). management to determine the most ',j
cost-effective measures for
achieving multiple use objectives, "
Bureau of Land
Management Geological Survey
Public Law 98-320, directed the ~l'
Secretary of the Interior to develop a The USGS, Water Resources
comprehensive program to Division, operates and m~intains
minimize salt contributions from streamflow-gauging and'water
lands administered by BLM, The quality sampling stations in the
July 1987 Report to Congress, Colorado River basin to provic;le the
Salinity Control on BLM - data necessary for ongoillg analysis
Administered Public Lands in the of the salinity control program, -'\,
Colorado River Basin, addressed the Each year, the USGS upd~tes the "
extent of salt contributed from monthly and annual values of
public lands~ current actions, and streamflow and salinity at 20 key
future recommendations to achieve sites in the Basin, These values are
the objective of minimizing salinity part of the data required by the
contributions while recognizing Colorado River Simulation System