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<br />..~ ,.. l. f""l <br />1..>;);:.. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />river end its tributaries and increases at downstream points, as a <br /> <br />result of bota natural ?ickup of salts and man's activities. <br />The effect of man in causin3 increased salinity also takes place <br />in the Lower Basin. Over 900,000 acre-feet of water per year is <br />evaporated from Lakes Mead, Mohave, and Havasu. Water losses between <br />Davis and Imperial Dams from phreatophytes and the river's surface <br />~verage about 600,000 acre-feet per year. Recent measurements indi- <br />cate that irrieated agriculture in the Lm~er Basin, primarily from <br />Parl:er and Palo Verde Valleys, adds over 200,000 tons of salts 'Jer <br /> <br />year to the river by the salt ?icl:up llrocess. <br />Fi3ure 2, presenting the river's five-year moving average salin- <br />i~y at several stations, shows how the river's salinity has been <br /> <br />trending upward in recent years. <br /> <br />Future Increases in Salinity <br />Several major water projects are now under construction in the <br /> <br />Upper Colorado River Basin, and othe:Ls have been authorized anc1 are <br /> <br />awaiting funds for desien and construction. In addition to these <br />already authorized projects, there are a number of additional proj- <br /> <br />ects for which feasibility reports are being mac1e. These potential <br /> <br /> <br />projects have been identified in recent studies of the Bureau of <br /> <br /> <br />Reclamation and the Upper Colorado River Commission. With some <br /> <br /> <br />adjustments to these studies to reflect the slowdown in funding of <br /> <br />reclamation }rojects th~t has developed in recent years, estimates <br /> <br />have been developed of future water use in the Upper Colorado ~iver <br />tasin. Based upon these estimates, the Colorado River BoarG has <br /> <br />projected that, unless salinity control measures are undertaken, the <br /> <br />-5- <br />