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<br />~..! <br />t- <br />N <br />o <br />.::-J <br />.". <br />- <br /> <br />CHAPTER III <br /> <br />PROBLEMS AND NEEDS <br /> <br />Colorado River Salinity <br /> <br />The Colorado River at its headwaters in the mountains of north- <br /> <br />central Colorado has a salinity concentration of about 50 milligrams <br /> <br />per liter (mg/L). <br /> <br />The concentration progressively increases downstream <br /> <br />as a result of depletions and salt contributions from a variety of <br /> <br />sources and in 1981 averaged about 816 mg/L at Imperial Dam. <br /> <br />Unless <br /> <br />control measures are undertaken, the concentrations are expected to <br /> <br />increase. <br /> <br />Affected most severely by the salinity are municipal and industrial <br /> <br />water users in the Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and San Diego areas and <br /> <br />irrigators in southern California and Arizona who experience economic <br /> <br />losses. <br /> <br />Based on January 1983 prices, quantified damages in the Lower <br /> <br />Colorado River Basin States attributable to salinity are estimated to <br /> <br />average $540,000 annually for each mg/L increase at Imperial Dam when <br /> <br />concentrations reach the range of 875 to 1,225 mg/L. <br /> <br />In response to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act as amended <br /> <br />(Public Law 92-500), the seven Colorado River Basin States adopted 1972 <br /> <br />salinity concentrations at three points on the Lower Colorado River as <br /> <br />salinity control standards. <br /> <br />The objective of the Colorado River Water <br /> <br />Quality Improvement Program is to maintain concentrations at or below <br /> <br />these levels while the Basin States continue to develop their compact- <br /> <br />apportioned waters. To attain this goal, an estimated 2.8 million tons <br /> <br />of salt must be removed from the Colorado River Basin annually. <br /> <br />19 <br /> <br />~ <br />