WSP05868

• File Number: 8270.100
• Description: Colorado River Basin Water Quality/Salinity -- Misc Water Quality
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 5/13/1963
• Title: Quality of Colorado River Water - Cameo CO to Cisco UT
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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3). On pages 41, 43, and 45 the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation
has tabulated the concentration of dissolved salts in the Colorado
River nr. Cameo, Colorado; the Gunnison River, at Grand Junction,
Colorado; and the COlorado River nr. Cisco, Utah, respectively.
Par purposes of this study, it was estimated that Plateau Cr. nr.
Cameo, Colorado, would have the same concentration in tons/A.P.
as the Colorado River nr. Cameo, Colorado. The dissolved salts in
the Dolores River, nr. Cisco, Utah, the only other large tributary
in this reach of the river, was o~tained from U. S. GeolQ9ical
Survey Water Supply Papers, Quality of Surface Waters of the united
States. Par periods of missing records the daily concentration was
estimated by normal linear correlation and regression methods.

4). From the total amount of salts in the Colorado River
near Cisco, Utah, the total salt content of the folloWing wae su~-
tracted: (a) Dolores River nr. Cisco, Utah; (b) Gunnison River at
Grand Junction, Colorado; (c) Plateau Creek nr. Cameo, Colorado;
(d) Colorado River nr. Cameo, Coloradol (e) dissolved salt in the
river losses from Cameo to Cisco, Utah, as estUnated by the
Engineering Advisory Committee to the Upper Colorado River Basin
Compact Commission; and (f) salt added by precipitation.

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The total amount of salts added to the Colorado River by
municipalities were found to be negligible and were not taken into
consideration.

Prom analysis of precipitation records of the ~asin, it was
felt that the amount of precipitation recorded at Grand Junction
was an average figure for the whole basin. It was estimated that
15% of the precipitation falling over the basin eventually became
part of the river flow. Due to smmmlarity of geologic conditions
between the areas below and above Cameo, Colorado, it is estimated
that the runoff reaching the river would have the same salt con-
centration in tons/A.P., as the Colorado nr. Cameo, Colorado.

The amount of water diverted for irrigation from the
Colorado River between Cameo and Cisco was not taken into consider-
ation as it was felt that the total amount of salts that were in the
water diverted must be accounted for first, and allowed to return
to the river before any salt increase in the river could be charged
to irrigation return flow.

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