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2 B OESEFtEf NEWS, THUFtS. P.M./FR!. A.M., MAY "'.15, 1987 Project to reduce salt flow into the Colorado River stalls ....... By Joseph Bauman DOS!)rel News flI'lvlronmonttl sP&clanst ^ controverilal (IroJed to reduce Silt now Into the Colo- tado nlvCf' by capturing water neAr HAnbvlJle appear'll d<,ad, with an announcement by the U.:t Buteau of necla. matlon that It 91'111 pursue no further studies of IL The l~eral and state governments have dlfrerent ver. sions or ",by the Dirty Devil RIver Salinity Control Pro1ect 5~m!; to have been abandoned. Federal omclals say It's the slilte's fault, and stale oUldals say Utah did not block Ie The rlMlt word on the 8~lng demise or the program .. In Stlllnlty Update. a quarterly periodical l5SUed by the bureau's Colorado River Water QualltyOfflet, Denver, The report Is daled Aprll1987,although copies dId not arrive at the Drseret News unlll nearly the middle of May. The project, which was never built, was Intended to re- duce salty water nlnnlng on Into the Colorado River Sys. tern. Salt In the water reduces Its l1Selulness for agriculture and other U9elJ. BurcGU et{lnomlsls e!ltlmated that $52 In damage to crops and other product.!! occurs for every additional ton of salt that washes Into the Colorado system. Dut the Dirty Devil Unit would emit more than that for eaeh ton of salt It would removc from the river's tributaries. However, the bureau baa contended that a nella live C(IS(. lM!neflt raUo "ould not preclude the unit, bec:alllCl tedueln& salinityis' a n.tlonal prlflrlty, The nnlt could be built If It WI., more CO::\l effective ltllln other aaUnlty-conlro1 uniu. regardless of the over.1I bala~ of costs to benefits. The Dirty Oevl1 unit was to be built In two parts, one at Sooth Salt Wash In the SIIn Raf3et Swell ncar 1.70, anr! Ihe oUlual Salt Wash, about IS miles north 01 Hanksvllle, near the end of the San Rafael Reel. Slreams and sprlnp that now during perlnds of hIgh waler were to be captured. Then the water was to be Injtt:ted to depths 01 4,000 to 8,500 feet underground. . The head! of these InJlX:Uon wells would stick above the ground's surl.ceo stretching for miles across the desert. A power Une would be built, large evaporatlon ponds and utility buildings would be con3truded, and a road would be upgraded. Salinity Update lives this reA.'l1ln tor netTamatlon's apo pan!nt1y calling oflthe project: "Since the state 01 Utah 19'111 not grant a water right lor the unit because deep-wen InjecUon Is not COlUldered a benenclal use 01 water, the: studies have been dlseonUnucd." Harl Noble ot the Bureau of Reclamation olnce In Silt Lake Clt, said a primary problem with the DIrty Devl1 River Unit Is thallt "had a marginal eost effectiveness In removing the Ilallnlly," No formal ruling came (rom the state on water rfghts lor the project, Noble said, but It hu been d.l.scussed with atateoffldals. l'Thcy indicated tbat U we were to apply (or one, It would ~ '=' o l\) ~ CJt CO ~ probably be denIed on the basis: ot not being conslderNf 8. benellclal u.->e undcr the slate water statutes. So we did not mIke 8. nUng," Noble said. He said the project could be revived, "depcl'ldim~ on what the sallnlly situation on the Cl)lorado LIIl, and the nC('(! ror removing more sail, and wbat tho sUite ~f Utah may do 1n rev1sln8 Us water statutes." Bul any resuscitation would be snme time In the future, be said. Another pm;slble way to resoTve the problrm, he said, would be If an Indu.~trla.lusc of the waler could be lound. U so, the water right.!! could be awarded, because they would fuUlII the stale law requIrement, that water must be pullo . bencncial use. . State Engineer Robert MorKan, who rulC!S on appllca~ Uon!> lor water rfghts, saId that because the bureau did not Ole an application lor the water, "I cannot pass judgment or prejudice an application," To have told the bureau that should It nle tor a water right It would not be a~C('pted "would be prejudicing, and 1 can't do thaL We have to judge everyone on Its own merlb." What would happen If the Dureau of Reclamation sub- mitted an appllcaUon fot the Dirty Devil River Unit? "We would have to look at It," Morgan said. "It would be a very Interesting sltuaUon, and there is no pat answer," He would have to ch~k whether. the water Involved: :. '. '. would be charKro to Ulllh's water allotment undcr the Colorado River Comp3~L II st'), he would then ask wheUlcf. the pro~t would benefit the state of Utah. .. Presumably, a ptoj<<l might quality by offering an In: tangible bcnt'nt, such 8B .helplng fannc~ In CalifornIa. grow vegdahTes more ellecUvely, so that they could be sold to Ul.ah con:nJmen at lower prices. Barry Saundct1, chlel em~lnc-er lor Intersl.ate stream." I Utah Otvlslon of Water tC"'ources, said, "Actually, lhe~ . was no appllcaUon (by the Bureau or Redamatlon) prOo,' ' sente<1 lo the 5lAte engineer for water rights," However, Saunders saId, he could not speak on this ~ub-. ject lor State Engineer Robe~ Morgan, who rules on ~ quest.. lor water rights. . "We held meetings on thts and dJscus.'>Cd It at length and. dtlClded that there are potential salinity projP.Cts more cost efl<<Uve than the Dirty Devll Unit, so at this Ume we wouldn't try to push that particular proJect." :.... , '1'he, could put their money on projects right now thal:. were more ro!':t elftlCUve, and so they decided to do thal," Saunden said. He uld nobody told the bureau that. request lOf' water rfghts would be turned down, The project had no vocal proponents In Utah. But It had many opponents among envlronmenta.lists, who said the well heads, power line, road work, bul1dln~ and evapora. tIon ponds would mar the harsh beauty of the San Rafae.! d"",,- ., '.~ ~ ~1