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13G7 . . saline blowdown water from the cooling towers to Lal~e Powell. At a hearing callee 0Y the Project Manager of the Navajo Project in October 1970, representatives from the Federal Water Quality Admin- istration and the Colorado River Board recommended to the participants that blo~~down water be handled so that the salts would not be returned to the Colora~o rriver system. The participants met and later agreed to this recommendation, and directeo their en~ineering consultants to ~evelop a plan that would prevent return of the approximately 30,000 tons of salt contained in the blowdown water each year to the Colo- rado rriver system. Position of the Federal Government Recent statements by Federal officials show strong sunport for commencing action to meet the salinity problem. In a speech before the Irrigation Districts' Association of California on December 2, 1970, in Los Angeles, California, Mr. Ellis L. Armstrong, Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, stated: "In southern California, concern is being expressed in the increasing salinity of the Colorado River which is the. only source of water to the productive irrigation develop- nent in Imperial and Coachella Valleys, the Palo Verde Irrication District and other areas along the Lower Colorado River. The river is a major source of supply for the Metro- politan Water District. "This is becominr; a serious problem. Corrective me2.sures anel the prevention of further d<>rerioration of the quality of the Colorado River will require the combined efforts of local, State, and Federal aHencies. It will not be an easy job, but it must be done. Mr. David Clark, in the aforementioned speech, stated that salin- ity concentrations in the Colorado River Basin should be maintained at or below present levels. He also said that his. office is recommpnfH.ng the following action in its review of all Federal projects: -14-