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<br /> <br />Water Resources <br /> <br />maintained at their 1965 levels, water supply aug- <br />mentation, for both lakes combined, of 200,000 <br />acre-feet annually would be necessary. Under natural <br />conditions these terminal lakes would reach a long- <br />term equilibrium of water level, but their salinity. <br />would slowly increase because of a constant inflow of <br />dissolved solids and no outflow. Developments to <br />1965 caused large declines in water level and <br />corresponding increases of salinity; additional de- <br />velopment will accelerate the decline. <br />Public opinion in support of maintaining Pyramid <br />and Walker Lakes is growing, but no practical <br />solution to the problem is now apparent. The <br />Department of the Interior is committed to develop. <br /> <br />26 <br /> <br />i <br /> <br />ing a method of preserving Pyramid Lake and has <br />studies underway. <br />As the use of water resources in all regions <br />increases, the problems of water quality will become <br />more acute. Reuse of water causes marked increases <br />in the salinity and sometimes adds other pollutants. <br />This problem will affect most areas but the most <br />acute problem concerns the Lower Colorado River. <br />At Imperial Dam, 26 miles above the international <br />boundary, the average salinity has been increasing <br />most rapidly and is expected to continue to increase. <br />This problem is discussed in greater detail in the sec- <br />tion on Water Quality, Pollution Control, and Health <br />Factors. <br />