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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />W <br />-..1 <br />c.o <br />00 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />throughout the entire basin and which is most usually responsible for <br /> <br />limiting reuse of Colorado River water supplies is that of total dissolved <br /> <br />solids, or salinity. For this reason, the problem of salinity has become. <br /> <br />the chief water quality problem of basin-wide concern. <br /> <br />',J':" ;, <br /> <br />The Salinity Problem in the Colorado River Basin <br /> <br />Processes Contributing to Salinity. All waters from surface <br /> <br />streams and groundwater sources contain dissolved substances known <br /> <br />chemically as salts. The term salinity has been used broadly to refer <br /> <br />to these dissolved salts. Throughout this report both salinity and total <br /> <br />dissolved solids are used interchangeably to refer to the soluble solids <br /> <br />transported by water flows. <br /> <br />Salinity levels at any point in a stream are the result of two fund- <br /> <br />amental processes which occur in any hydrologic system. These two <br /> <br />processes are (l) salt loading which results from the dissolving of salts <br /> <br />by water, and (2) concentrating effects which result from the natural or <br /> <br />man.induced consumptive use of water leaving residual salts in ;l. smaller <br /> <br />volume of water. Both of these processes influence salinity levels <br /> <br />within the Colorado River, and account for the marked increase in <br /> <br />salinity levels as the river flows toward the ocean. <br /> <br />Salinity in an Arid Lands River Basin: The Colorado River. The <br /> <br />Colorado River lies entirely within the arid section of the United States. <br /> <br />Its headwaters are primarily in the high mountains of Colorado, Utah, <br /> <br />7 <br /> <br />, <br />,1~ ..J <br />