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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />PROS <br /> <br />Costs <br /> <br />The primary advantage of deactivating the Desalting Plant is the lower <br />annual operating cost. Annual costs would be $12.5 million the first <br />year, $7 to $9 million the second year, and $3 million per year <br />thereafter. <br /> <br />As discussed under Alternative AI, Pro's to this alternative include: <br /> <br />Availability of Coachella Conservation <br /> <br />For the remainder of the interim period, the 132,000 af per year of <br />water conserved by lining the Coachella Canal is still available for use <br />to assist the Secretary as replacement for the additional water released <br />from storage to meet the delivery obligation to Mexico. <br /> <br />Uncertain Risks to States Water Supply <br /> <br />While it is clear that water belonging to the Basin States is being <br />allowed to be bypassed and lost, it is not clear that this loss will <br />cause harm or that conserving this loss will significantly increase <br />Colorado River water supplies. As the Upper Basin has yet to fully <br />develop, overall water supply demands continue to be less than the long- <br />term supply. With the large carryover storage of the Colorado River <br />reservoirs, the probability that shortage will occur in the foreseeable <br />future .is relatively low, and there is a good probability that the <br />reservoir system will fill, and flood control releases will be required. <br />If so, water conserved by operation of the Desalting Plant and reserved <br />in storage may eventually be spilled and may in part be wasted. <br /> <br />Use Of Temporary Entitlement Is Authorized <br /> <br />The 1974 Act allows and envisioned the use of the 132,000 af per year of <br />conserved water to assist the Secretary in replacing the additional <br />water released from storage. As a result, the Secretary has sufficient <br />discretion to use the conserved water to continue the storage releases <br />and allow the loss of irrigation drainage, in lieu of operating the <br />Desalting Plant, as long as California water requests are met. <br /> <br />Santa Clara Slough Preserved <br /> <br />By not operating the Desalting Plant, WMIDD drainage would continue to <br />be bypassed, and the Slough would be maintained. <br /> <br />Continued Research <br /> <br />By keeping the Test Plant in operation, desalting research could <br />continue. The opportunity envisioned in Section 203 (b) of the" <br />authorizing Act to advance water treatment technology relative to <br />lowering treatment costs and making advance treatment more practical <br /> <br />23 <br />