WSP06888

• File Number: 8270.100
• Description: Colorado River Basin Water Quality/Salinity -- Misc Water Quality
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 4/1/1982
• Author: USDA
• Title: Colorado River Water Quality Improvement Program - Final Environmental Impact Statement for Lower Gunnison Basin Unit - Montrose and Delta Counties CO and Uintah Basin Unit
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: EIS

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reducing, or eliminating th~ pollution of navigable waters and ground waters
(Section 1023)."

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The seven states of the Colorado River Basin acting through the Colorado River
Basin SalInity Control Forum developed and agreed upon basinwide ~ater quality
standards for salinity, including numeric criteria and a plan of implementation
for salinity conlrol in 1975 (1975 Forum report). Each of the BaSin-adopted
....aler quality standards .,,;pre SUbsequently approved by EPA. The 1975 report
described the rationale for the selection of the criteria stations,

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In response to Section 303(c) of the Clean ~aler Act, the Forum in 1978 reviewed
the standards. The Forum determined that these 1975 criteria Ioere appropriate.
The Forum also revie~ed and modified the plan of implementation in 1978.
Appropriate documents were adopted by the states.

Again, io 1981, the Forum in response to Section 303(c) revie~ed the criteria
and determined that the 1975 criterta are still appropriate. The numeric
criterIa are:

Bela.... Hoover Dam
Belo~ Parker Dam
Imperial Dam

723 mgfL
747 mgfL
879 mgfL

As In 1978, the plan of implementation
changes that have occurred since 1978.

~as revie~ed and modified
The principal components

to reflect
of the plan

are:

1.

Prompt construct ton by the Department of the Interior of two salinity
control units authorized by Section 202, Title II of Publlc Law 93-320,
namf'ly the Paradox \'alley and Grand Valley Units.

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Expeditious duthorization and construction by the Department of the Interior
of the ~eeker Dome unit and 10 of the units listf'd in Section 20)(a)(1),
Title II of P.L. 93-320, or their equivalents after receipt of favorable
planning reports,

3. Expeditious implementation by the Department of Agriculture of ontarm and
related improvement measures for salinity control.

4. Implementation ot salinity Control measures by the Bureau of Land ~anagement
to reduce salt contribution from public domain lands.

5. The placing of effluent limitations, principally under the Sational Pollutant
Discharge Elimlnation System (SPDES) permit program, provided for In
Section 402 of the Clean water Act of 1977 on industrial and municipal
discharges based on the Forum's 1977 policy on salinity control through
the SPDES permits.

6. Implementation of the 1980 forum policy for the use of bra~kish and/or
saline ~aters for industrial purposes.

7. Inclusion of the 208 ~ater Quality ~anagement Plans. Individually, the
Basin states have developed ~3ter quality management plans to conform to
the requirements of Section 208 of the Clean ~ater Act, The ~ater quality
management plannin~ process is continuing, As the plans are refined or
ne~ elements added and after such changes have been adopted by the states
and approved by EPA, those portions of the plans dealing ~ith salinity
control ~ill become part of the implementation plan.

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