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<br />, <br />I <br /> <br />t <br /> <br />certified by the respecl~\I~~ and <br />conditionally approved by the <br />Environmental Protection Agency. <br />In California, the 208 Plan which <br />was to address lhe Colorado River <br />salinity issue has not been completed. <br />A study of this 208 Plan was initiated <br />in 1977 as part of Ihe statewide <br />non--designated 108 planning area in <br />California. It was set up a~ a <br />cooperative study 10 be conducted <br />under the direction Df the California <br />Regional Water Quality Control <br />Board-Colorado River Basin Region <br />by the United States Geological <br />Survey, in cooperation with the Palo <br />Verde Irrigation District and with <br />assistance from the Board's staff. <br /> <br />As a part of the 208 planning effon <br />for the Colorado River salinity issue, <br />the Geological Survey has released a <br />report entitled "Dissolved Solids <br />Concentrations and LOdds in Return <br />Flows to the Colorado River from <br />Agricultural lands in Southern <br />California". <br /> <br />While the report covered the Fan <br />Mojave Indian Reservation, Bard <br />Valley, and Palo Verde Valley, it <br />concentrated on the last named area. <br />Irrigation of the Fort Mojave lands just <br />commenced a few years ago and, as <br />yet, there are no suriace drainage <br />flows back to the river. Bard Valley <br />returns little salt and appears to be in <br />salt balance. In the Palo Verde area, <br />three subareas in the south and west <br />portions of the Valley were found to <br />be major contributors of salt to the <br />river. As a result of the studi€'S by the <br />Geological Survey, a proposed plan <br />for salinity control was developed and <br />a small-scale test plan was to be <br />implemented on selt"Cted acrt'a~es in <br />the afft"Cted subareas. However, this <br />portion of the statewidt' non- <br />designated 208 plannin~ area was <br />not included for continued funding bv <br />EPA. The Water and Power Resources <br />Service has agrt>ed to continut' the <br />small-scale test program in <br />cooperation with Palo Verde Irrigation <br />District, a local farming operation, and <br />the Geological Survey. <br /> <br />Yuma Desaltin8 Plant Jnd Other <br />Title I Facilities <br /> <br />Work began on site preparation and <br />intake system construction at the site <br />of tht' Yuma Desalting Plant complex <br />under a $7 million contract. The <br />desalting plant is the principal feature <br />of the measures authorized by Title I <br />of P.l. 93-320 to implement the 1973 <br />Colorado River salinity agreement <br />with Mexico. The membranes to be <br />used in the reverse-osmosis desalting <br />units in the plant are being <br />manufactured under two other <br />contracts. Performance t€'Sting for <br />overall assessment of equipment is <br />being conducted by the membrane <br />manufacturers, Universal Oil Products <br />and Hydranautics. ThE' design <br />capacity of the plant has been <br />reduced from 96 million gallons per <br />day to 7J million gallons per dilY, <br />following extensive studies conducted <br />by the federal government. Plans now <br />call for the plant to be completed and <br />in operation by lanuary 1980. <br />Construction of the concrete-lined <br />St"Ction of the Coachella Canal to <br />replace the first 49 miles of the <br />existing unlined canal, WilS complt'ted <br />and placed in operation on November <br />18, 1980. The lining is estimatt'd to <br />save about 132,000 acre-feet per year <br />of water prt'viously lost through <br />st't'page. The salvaged water will <br />eventually be used by Coachella <br />Valley Water District. Initially, <br />however, it will be used to meet the <br />United States' delivery obligations to <br />Mexico. <br />On September 4, 1980, President <br />Caner signed P.l. %-336 (5.496) <br />which increa~ed the appropriation <br />ceiling for Title I of P.l. 93-320. The <br />amendment authorized an <br />appropriation ceiling of $35bA million, <br />based on January 1979 prices, and <br />established construction cost indexing <br />authority. The increased authorization <br />ceiling makes allowances for <br />increa~ com of the desalting plant <br />and the COdchella Canal lining. II also <br />included $10 million for fish and <br />wildlife mitigation which was not <br /> <br />17 <br /> <br />included in the original act. Funher, <br />the act authorizes the Secretary of the <br />Interior to use electrical power and <br />energy for the desalting plant that <br />would be available from the Navajo <br />Generating Station in excess of <br />Central Arizona Project pumping <br />requirements, after the Secretary <br />completed a study of alternative <br />sources of power and energy. <br /> <br />Regional Developments <br /> <br />Upper 8,15in Developments <br /> <br />The Water and Power Resources <br />Service award€'d a $74.1 million <br />contract for construction of McPhee <br />Dam, the principal feature of the <br />Dolores Project in southwestern <br />Colorado. The 270-foot high dam will <br />be constructed on the Dolores River <br />near Cortez and will create a 381,()(X) <br />acre-foot reservoir to supply irrigation <br />and municipal water to the area. <br />A $19.5 million contract was <br />awarded for construction of the <br />38-mile-long Fountain Valley Conduit <br />on the Fry;n8PJn-ArkanSi/5 Pro;t'Ct in <br />Colorado. Two additional contracts, <br />totaling $19.5 million were awarded <br />for construction of a membrane lining <br />for the fOfl'bay of the Mt. Eiben <br />Pumped-Storage Powerplant and for <br />mi<;('ellant"Ous work related to Unit 1 <br />of the powerplanl. When completed, <br />the powerplant will generate 200,000 <br />kilowatts of hydroelectric peaking <br />power. <br /> <br />Three contracts totaling $5.5 million <br />were awarded for con~truction of <br />transmission lines and collector drains <br />on the Nd~'JjO Indian IrrigJtion Project <br />in New Mexico. <br /> <br />A $34.7 million contract was <br />awarded for construction of Rhodes <br />and Hades Tunnt'ls and associated <br />structures, features of the Stra.....berry <br />Aqueduct oj tht'- 8onne~'ille Unit, <br />Central Utah Project. An additional <br />$7.8 million contract v...as awarded for <br />constructie'n of Reach 3 of the Jordan <br />Aqueduct oj this Unit. <br />