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<br />EM<lbk~hment of Critic.,1
<br />Habltdf fOf the 11'oundlin
<br />
<br />In 1977, the US Fish and Wildlif~.
<br />Service puhlisht>d in the Federal
<br />Regi<;fer a propo<,..d rt'gulatjon to
<br />designate the Virgin River from Lakf'
<br />Mt'ad to north of Hurricanl'. Utah, as
<br />d critical habitat for .m enddn~t'rl>d
<br />species of fish, the woundiin. The
<br />Bureilu of Reclamdtion's ,>t<lff, in
<br />r{'vjt'win~ this propost'd rejotulatlon,
<br />was concernt'd IhJt tht, Fi..h and
<br />Wildlife Sf'r\'ice m.n' condudE' tholl
<br />the propo'>l2'd salinit~ control projects
<br />al LaVerkin SprinRs ,lnd LOWN Virgin
<br />Ri\er, which wen' included in P.l.
<br />93.320, would cau,e ddH'r<,e impiKt<.
<br />on the woundfin\ habitat. The
<br />Endangered Speci(", Act reqUlr~ the
<br />Seeretdrv of the Intprior, in such
<br />case., to take actions to ensure that
<br />the projf'Cts would not jPopardize an
<br />enddngered spe<:ie'" cOnlmued
<br />existence or that there "auld not bt,
<br />an\' modification of it<, habital. The
<br />Bureau of Reclamiltion believt's that
<br />thi.. r('Quirement would probablv h.'lll
<br />Ihe construction of Ihese S.'llinit\
<br />control proJPCh_ The,:,>e projects have
<br />the potentidl to reducE.' the river's Sdh
<br />10dd br dbout 185,000 ton.. dnnUdll\'
<br />
<br />
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<br />The Colorado Riwr Basin S,lliMy
<br />Control Forum and individual statt's
<br /><,ent letter<, to the Sffreldtv of the
<br />Interior oppo<,inR this rt'gulalion. In
<br />Janudty of 1978, the Colorado River
<br />Board also sent J letter opposing the
<br />propo<,t'd regulation unlt'<,s assurann's
<br />were gin-n th':lI it would not affect
<br />th(' much~O('(>ded salinity control
<br />units.
<br />
<br />Cht'ml'hul'l i Indian Re.~ero. ',won
<br />~hi,~(el'dff'r Facihh
<br />
<br />The Chemt'huevi Indian Tnbe
<br />applit>d for a federal grant to
<br />conslrull a wasteVl.'dter trt',ltment
<br />pldnt for il<, r~('tvation, 10 b€' located
<br />about three-fourths of d milE' irom
<br />ldl..e HdVdSU. Inil1J1ly. the Tribe's
<br />con<,uhan\<, propo<'l;'(l .'I biological
<br />control process that Vl.ould use w,llE'r
<br />hyacinths to strip nutrients itom the
<br />wastf"\\i1It't, a methane gener'-Ilor that
<br />would produce g.'lS from the
<br />harvested biomass, and fresh-water
<br />shnmp dnd fish that would be
<br />harvp<,tro as commercial product<,.
<br />Arizond and California agencies
<br />di\l:,rting water at or beloVl. lake
<br />Hava,u were oppo<,t-d to thiS propo...al
<br />bffau,>e oi the dangt't of pa<,<,ible
<br />iniestatlon of L.ll..e Hav.'lsu dnd thf'
<br />Lower Colorado River b\ h\dCinth.. or
<br />
<br />J
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<br />similar aggressive water plants. Viany
<br />of the dgencies passed rp<,olution" or
<br />draflf>d lellers dgain!>t su<;h UW, which
<br />"",ere considered at a hearinJ;t held by
<br />thp Colorado Riwr Basm Regional
<br />Waler Quallt',-, Control Board on luly
<br />13, 1977. As a result of Ihi<,
<br />opposition, thE' Tribt>.s consultdnls,
<br />Solar Aqua Systems. lnc., dgreed to
<br />not u..e water hyacinlh<, and proposed
<br />instead the u-.e of several specie.. of
<br />du<;k"",t:"ed, which were stated to bf.
<br />lOdiRt'nou<, to the lower Colorado
<br />Rlvpr, and would accomplish the
<br />same purpo<,e, without thE' hazard" of
<br />the water hyacinths.
<br />On SeptembN 10, 1977, the
<br />Chemehuevi Tribe wa.. aW.Hded a
<br />Arant oi $2,436,240 by tht, El"Onomic
<br />DevelopmE'nt Agency to cOO'>truct the
<br />waste"",'ater Ifeatmt'nt fdcility near
<br />lake Hav(l<'u landtng, Tht, grant
<br />contraG contdined special conditions
<br />to allevidlt. the Wolter agpncies'
<br />concerns OVf'( use of aquatic ""f>l>ds
<br />ior W.'lstewater trt'atment,
<br />The contrd('tor for the Tribe
<br />initiatt'd construction activitv with
<br />preliminary site <,ur\if'V<,. A
<br />requin.ment of the grant conlrdcl is
<br />thdt con..truction must bt'gin within 90
<br />dolo,''> of the signing oi the contract.
<br />
<br />Con.~(Jrtillm of IVdfer InsfI(uft>s ,md
<br />C enrer~
<br />
<br />The Consortium of Water Inslitutes
<br />drld Center" is dn organization of
<br />uni\('rsities in tht, COlorddo River
<br />Basin <,Idtl'''' that pt'rform Vl.atN rplaled
<br />re<,earch in the Basin. The Board'..
<br />A....i..tant Chief Engml'('r i.. .I membt'r
<br />of the Consortium's T I'Chnical
<br />Advi<,orv CommIttee. "'any of the
<br />re..e,lfch projl:"Cts currentl',- being
<br />conducted by the vdtiou<, members of
<br />the Con<,onium have !x'l'n describt>d
<br />in prt>vious dnnual reports.
<br />A drait report WdS distributed for
<br />revie"" on a major prOJl:"Ct on
<br />economic.. of saliMy impact.., ....hieh
<br />h,lS been undt'f'...-a\ for ..evNat vear..
<br />by the Con...ortlum. In anJ.lvzing the
<br />finding.. of the prOJE'l.'!, the Bureau of
<br />Reclamation reported th.'lt unit
<br />damdg~ from salimh' \ar\ with the
<br />salimh oi thl;' watf'r. It ".IS stated
<br />that. dt pre<.f'nt sdlinllv le\ el.., unit
<br />saliM\ ddm.lli:t'<, are about S250,0CK)
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