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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />..' ..... ~ <br />, 'I . <br />1..J J.i. <br /> <br />to the environmental aspects of large scale diversions, the huge <br />demands for capital for all public programs, and the slow ?rogress <br />being made in reducing costs of desaltin~ water, it now ap~ears that <br />augmentation of the Colorado River will not be possible until some <br />time after the turn of the century. Colorado River Board studies <br />have shown, however, that major salinity problems on the Colorado <br />River will arise Ions before the year 2000. Other solutions, then, <br />must be considered to reduce the river's salinity. <br />Other than transbasin diversions and desalting of ocean water, <br />major alternatives available at this time to ameliorate damaging <br />salinity conditions in the lower river include modification of pre- <br />cipitation to increase river runoff, oesalting of geothermal water <br />in Imperial Valley, desalting of Colorado rriver flows, and specific <br />salinity cont rol projects. <br />Upon study, we have concluded that the effect on salinity of a <br /> <br />successful weather modification program would be difficult to predict. <br />Any additional runoff ryroduced from a weather modification program <br />would pick up salts in its travel to Lees Ferry. While increased run- <br />off could reduce the overall salinity at Lees Ferry (by about 70 ppm, <br />with a runoff increase of 2 million acre-feet per year all released <br />at Lees Ferry), any benefit to Lower Basin users would be dependent <br />upon a significant portion of the increased runoff being allowed to <br />leave the Upper Basin. If the increased runoff would be used largely <br /> <br />or exclusively to expand Upper Basin uses, there would be little or <br />no increase in water released to the Lower Basin. As a result, the <br /> <br />river's salinity would be subst1'lnti.:!lly ;ncre""cu :It T.ecs Feu;y <br /> <br />-[1- <br />