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. PART V. COLORADO RIVER ~ATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT .... C." o A. State Inventory ,- -' An important objective of this water quality investigation is to assess the suitability of Colorado River water for various beneficial uses. The following section discusses the physical and economic effects of salinity and other pollutants on water uses. Each State's water quality office Or Department of Health was asked to submit an inventory of water pollution problems and/or priorities for users of the Colorado River water within their State. 1. Wyoming Wyoming submitted a draft report I Statewide Water Quality Assessment Fiscal Year 1982,11 J prepared by the Water Quality Division, Department of Envir-arunental QUdlity. In this report a rating system was used to prioritize water quality problems by stream reach within the State. The Green River Basin received priorities 1,4, 22, 28, 3D, and 31, as follows: . priority l.--Flaming Gorge Reservoir inflow area. Problem: Eutrophication, blue-green algae, low dissolved oxygen, high nutrients, aesthetics. Impacts: Primary and secondary body contact recrea- tion and cold water sport fishery. prioritv 4.--Bi~ Sandy River from its mouth to Big Sandy R~servoir. Problem: Hijl;h salinity from seeps and irrigation return flows. Impacts: Primarily from salinity to the Lo....er Basin.l..! Priority 22.--Big Sandy Reservoir. Problem: High turbidity from erosion - Big Sandy Reservoir has low TDS water. There is no relationship between the ero- sion problem, Priority 22, and the salinity problem, Priority 4. Impacts: Cold water sport fishery. Priodt\" ~8.--Bitter Creek from its mouth upstream to poin"t of Rocks. Problem: Improper se'.;age treat- ment at Rock Springs and the many satellite facili- ties in the area. Impacts: Fecal coliform, public health, and moderate secondary recreation; possibly contributes to Priority I eutrophication in Flaming Gorge Reservoir. 1/ The Southwestern Wyoming Clean l,.,"ater Report, 1978,12] documents TDS impacts to M&I water users seasonally due to high levels of sulfates. This impact was particularly severe during the 10.... flows in the Green River during the 1977 drought. . 1"