WSP03774

• File Number: 8273.800.10
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control - Federal Agencies - Joint Reports
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 12/1/1990
• Title: 1990 Joint Evaluation of Salinity Control Programs in the Colorado River Basin
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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reducing salt contributions to the river from
existing upstream sources and by minimizing
future increases in salt load caused by man's
activities. Control measures are selected on the
basis of cost-effectiveness, technical feasibility,
social and political acceptability, and
environmental considerations. Based on river
modeling results, the current plan of
implementation will achieve the goal of
maintaining mean salinity levels at Imperial
Dam at or below 879 mgIL. The implementation
schedule for this plan is shown on table 1,

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As evidenced by past program activities, long
lead times are required for project planning
and implementation. Failure to implement the
plan will result in a revised plan with greater
salt reduction in a shorter time to achieve the
same goal.

Figure 4 shows the effect of the accumulated
differences of the 1987 vs. 1990 salinity
program. The 1987 implementation plan
proposed removing a total of 1,210,800 tons of
salt from the Colorado River by the year 2010 to
meet the program goal of maintaining an
average total dissolved solids at or below the

1600

l:'! 1280
g
g 960
o.

1987 Salinity Control Progra

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;3 -320
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,g

640

numeric criterion of 879 mgIL at Imperial Dam.
The current 1990 implementation plan proposes
to remove a total of 1,464,000 tons of salt
annually from the Colorado River by 2010,
Therefore, an additional 263,200 tons of salt are
needed to be removed annually from the system
to achieve the same results,

The 1990 salinity program's projected total
remaining investment cost is approximately
$669 million. The construction costs differ from
the 1987 program in the following manner:

. Four salinity control projects have been
added to the 1987 program-Glenwood.
Dotsero Springs Unit, the BLM program,
San Juan (Hammond Project)- USDA, and
San Juan (Hammond) Unit-Reclamation.

. Inflation has increased construction costs
and operation and maintenance costs,

. Costs for some projects have increased
because of technical problems and delays in
project implementation.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
, "'-Accumulative difference
" ' between 1987 and 1990
Salinity Control Programs

320

1990 Salinhy Control Program

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,
,
,
,

-640
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-960

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-= -1280
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en

-1600
1990

1996

2000
Time in Years

2010

2006

Figure 4.-Comparison 01 the 1990 salinhy control program and 1987 salinity control program,

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