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w c..n '-11 (Jl B-259297 Another method is marketing the water for municipal and industrial uses rather than using it for irrigation within a particular state.5 To date, however, water marketing has faced political and legal barriers. For example, several proposals to allow the marketing of conserved water have been defeated by the Colorado State Legislature. However, water marketing of conserved water is allowed in California, as we discussed in our May 1994 report.6 1 Methods have also been rejected because they were environmentally unsound. For example, for the Paradox Valley project, program managers considered piping brine into a holding pond and letting it evaporate. This method was rejected because it was deemed dangerous tnwildlife in the area. Interior's Measurements of Salinity Show That Statutory Limits Are Not Being Exceeded Measurements of salinity since the inception of the program show that salt levels at the three established monitoring stations have remained below the limits instituted under the Clean Water Act, thus satisf.ying the program's goal, According to program managers, the goal could not be met beyond the year 2000 without the various title II projects. In 1974, EPA required that "appropriate points in the Colorado River System" be selected at which numeric criteria for salinity concentrations would be established, using the 1972 averages. In 1975, the states adopted and EPA approved basinwide salinity standards. Under these standards, the average annual salinity was to be maintained at or below the average level found during 1972. In 1975, accordingly, the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum selected three monitoring stations at which to apply the numeric criteria, Program managers said they selected monitoring stations in the lower river basin because the effects of salinity were greater there than in the upper basin. The selected stations are at three locations: (1) below Hoover Dam, at the southern border of Nevada; (2) below Parker Dam, at the western edge of central Arizona; and (3) above Imperial Dam, near Yuma, Arizona. EPAapproved the Forum's selections as being consistent with the regulatory requirements. The numeric criteria, stated in milligrams per 5Municipal and industrial uses generally contribute much less salt to the river than does agricultural use, according to BOR 6Water Transfers: More Efficient Water Use Possible, If Problems Are Addressed (GAOIRCED~94-35, May 23, 1994). Page 14 GAOIRCED-95.58 Salinity Control Projects in the Colorado River Basin