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<br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />>-. <br />~ <br />~ <br />C' <br />-< <br /> <br />CAUSES OF SALINITY <br /> <br />1. In-basin Depletions <br /> <br />Consumptive use of water for irrigation within the basin is respon- <br />sible for the largest depletions while municipal and industrial uses <br />accounts for a lesser depletion. Evaporation from reservoir and stream <br />surfaces also produces large depletions. Phreatophytes cause significant <br />water losses by evapotranspiration. especially in the Lower Basin below <br />Hoover Dam. In most cases where in-basin depletions occur, the diverted <br />salts return to the river system, adding significantly to the increase <br />In concentration. <br /> <br />2. Transbasin Depletions <br /> <br />The major part of the transbasin depletions are made at higher ele- <br />vations where the salinity concentrations are very lo~. This removal of <br />high quality ~ater results in the remaining flows downstream to become <br />more concentrated even though some salts are removed by the water <br />delivered to another basin. ~any transbasin diversions have been made <br />for several years and an additional number will divert in the future. <br />The largest ones are the Bonneville Unit of the Central Utah Project, <br />the Denver-Englewood and Homestake Diversions, the San Juan-Chama <br />Project, and the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project all of which are now diverting <br />water. <br /> <br />33 <br />