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. . r' .", ~, 1...) \.}........ studies by other investigators indicate that damages in the area served by The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California would be in the order of $5 to $6 per acre-foot for each 100 ppm increase in salinity over present-day levels. Based upon studies made by the Federal Water Quality Administration, the Colorado River Board estimated that there is a $3 to $4.5 million annual penalty COSL. per 100 ppm increase in the river's salinity over present salinity levels at Imperial Dam to California agricultural users in Imperial, Coachella, and Palo Verde Valleys. Unless action is taken to control salinity, the total economic impact on California of increased Colorado River salinity between now and the year 2000 would be in the order of $40 million per year. High salinity will also cause significant damages to users in Arizona, Nevada, and the Republic of Mexico, but the Board has not quantified these damages. Possible Ways to Reduce Salinity In prior analyses of the problem of Colorado River salinity, the general thrust has been that augmentation of the river's water supply by importation of low salinity water from other river basins having surplus water would reduce the river's salinity. For example, importation of 3.5 million acre-feet per year of water with a salin- ity of only 100 ppm would reduce the river's projected salinity at Imperial Dam by 350 ppm in the year 2000, at a cost of several billion dollars. Because of recent developments, however, such as the con- gressionally enacted moratorium on st'ldy:ing importatoions of ""atp" f.:o" the Columbia River Basin into the Colorado River Basin, opposition -7-