Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br />w <br />Ul. <br />-.J <br />co <br /> <br />Agricultural water users suffer from higher salinity <br />waters through reduced crop yields, added labor costs for <br />irrigation management and automated water delivery <br />equipment, and added drainage requirements. The urban user <br />incurs additional cost due to early replacement of plumbing <br />and water using appliances, use of water softeners and the <br />purchase of bottled water. Industrial users and water <br />treatment and waste water utilities incur reductions in the <br />useful life of system facilities and equipment from <br />increased levels of salinity. A significant impact in the <br />Lower Basin is that imposed by local and regional water <br />quality standards and management programs which have placed <br />restrictions on the reuse of, or recharge of, waters that <br />exceed specified salinity, levels. These regulatory actions <br />w9uld result, if the river's salinity continues to <br />increase, inexpensive treatment of water prior to reuse or <br />the disposal ,of such waters. If disposal options are <br />selected, additional costly alternative sources of water <br />must be developed or imported to meet the demands <br />previously met or that could be met by water reu~e. <br />To date, salinity activities have been directed toward <br />decreasing total dissolved solids and the impacts on the <br />basin's water Users. Salinity is represented by a <br />combination of individual constituents, some of which may <br />have a greater impact on a specific beneficial use than <br />othera. Future research efforts would be needed to address <br />the impacts of individual constituents on specific <br />beneficial uses. <br />Salinity Monitorin~ Points <br />The salinity control plan includes a water quality <br />monitoring and analysis program which provides information <br />on a basinwide basis for plan evaluation. The monitoring <br />and analysis program is essential to maintain a data base <br />for future studies, to support state and regional planning <br />activities, and to evaluate the effectiveness of salinity <br />control measures. <br />River monitoring stations maintained by the USGS that <br />are used for the salinity control program are shown on <br />Figure 8. Data collection at these stations include: <br />streamflow, specific conductance, and periodic sampling of <br />dissolved solids concentration. <br />In addition to those stations shown in Figure 8, the <br />USGS maintains monitoring stations that are used to analyze <br />the impacts of individual salinity control projects. Some <br />of the Basin states also maintain monitoring networks. As <br />an example, the Utah Bureau of Water Pollution Control <br />monitors 27 sites in the Colorado River Basin. These sites <br />are sampled bimonthly and samples are analyzed for chemical <br />constituents, nutrients, 5-day biochemical oxygen demand, <br />suspended solids, dissolved solids, and coliform. In <br />addition to routine samples collected at these stations, <br />continuous recordings of temperature and specific <br />conductivity are taken at seven stations in Utah. <br /> <br />-21- <br />