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ins .<;1lI'€" S q.J:Jotr lant. ! yester- million : water" ,Ariz.. . eat 15 ay. UP. ecur~ I ban- >OS a I J " .~. :If [I ~I t'J ~5 ':if' 'Y\ , i , , \ PasO' and itn~' Jim 1tJe..;; !ven :On~: om~," 'ml( '.. Im- rf~': 'er, . In' I~~ lzi" lB" Ie ~ . ..~ Ir If ,.. "" Ii'" ~, 0961 Tu c. <, V'-' ,>-1--2.......- Salinity control program I ;or Colorado River decried: By Joan lowy l} _ ;2~.. ~ cared among the states through the I ScripPS-Howard News Service ~I U I, Colorado River Compact. ;' WASHINGTON - After 15 years McDonald said that only one sa- Bnd $~50 mHllon, the federal pro- 1I0lly Control project has been com- gram to control salhdty In tbe Colo- pleted In the upper basin states be- rado River basin stili does not Work, cause "the U.S. Congress hasn't according to an Inlerior Department honored the states' request to appro- report released yesterday. prtate tbe amount of money It would - Furthermore, the report by the take to get them done." , department's inspector general pre. The report's recommendation diets the costs at the program wlJl that salinity control projects In rise substantially In coming, years Upper basin states be canceled Is and recommends tbat Congress and "WhOlly unacceptable," be saId. the BUSh admlnJstratlon rethink the The salinIty control program was ~ntlre program, authorized by Congress In 1974 after ~: The report blames the program's strong protests trom Mexico that failUres on unexpected costs lovolv_ crops there were being damaged be- Jng a desalting plant In Yuma and a cause U.S. development along the Jack ot COoperatIon trom the the river had doubled the river's natural Upper Colorado River basin states salinity level by the time It reached and private canal owners. MexJco. , :- Colorado ottlcials, however, The Program caned tor construc- strongly crltlclzed the report. saying Uon of a desalting plant near Yuma. H mJsrepresents the situation In the The plant was Originally projected 10 upper basJn states. cost $155 million, but Is now exw ;. "That's a bUnch ot baloney. WhO' pected to cost $485 million and will ever is writing that stuflls Just to- not be operational until 1992. Opera- tally misinformed," said Bill tlon costs once Ihe plant .comes on , McDonald, director of tbe Colorado line are prOjected to be as. muc1:t as ; Water Conservation Board. $25 million a year. ! ~ , ~- The COlorado River basin In- Even then the plant may not be ' l:iudeS seven states extends 1 400 able to redu-:e sallnlty to the Jeyel mIles aDd provides ~ater tor 18 ~II_ promised Under a U.S.-Mexican . lion people and 1.7 mlUion acres ot agreement,.Ute report saId, I !?rmland. The Upper basin states The report contends that Upper ' are Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and baslnstateS8nd prlvate canal Opera. ~ew Mexico, while the lower basin tors "do notact!velysupport the pro. states are Arizona, Nevada and CaIl~ gram because they do not directly !~rnla. Water tram the ~ver is ailo- benetlt tram It," , ,I , , I I 'I