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<br />c..:> <br />N <br />o <br />loi::.. <br /> <br />achievin~ given salinity levels through <br />combinations of alternative salinity control <br />measures. The maximum social benefit will be <br />realized at point M where marginal benefits <br />equal marginal costs. <br /> <br />The 'quality level Q* is the economi- <br />cally efficient level. At this level, the <br />additional cost of improving water quality by <br />one unit equals the additional benefit to the <br />downstream users from that incremental <br />improvement. If some available salinity <br />control measures are not considered, then the <br />cost of achieving any desired level will be <br />greater than the minimum cost alternatives. <br />In such a case, the marginal cost Me' will be <br />higher than MG. Correspondingly, the "opti- <br /> <br />mal" water quality suggested by this rule Qt <br />will be lower than Q*. <br /> <br />The economic criteria developed in this <br />section will be applied to resolve the <br />salinity issue in the Colorado River Basin, <br />particularly in the face of projected enerry <br />development in the area. An operational <br />model will be structured in a planning <br />context, and the results will be compared to <br />the on-going and planned salinity control <br />measures in the basin to determine the <br />effectiveness of alternative plans under the <br />economic criteria. Numerical results derived <br />from this model can be used for future <br />pla,noing for energy development in the <br />bas In. <br /> <br />I <br />J <br />J <br />I <br />! <br />I <br />, <br />I <br />I <br />, <br /> <br />6 <br />