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I" ~ RAYMOND R. RUMMONCS eH"I"""'''' AND COLO""'OO RIYER CONlfI,'IONER CO"'C:HELL" VALLEY COUNTY WATE"CISTlIllCT VIRGIL L. JONES I' , .. '" 'i '.I i PALO VERDI. 111.1\\<1."'1"\0"" O\STl'lIC"T EDGAR L. KANOUSE OIl:,,"'I:;T..INT 01' W"'TER AND POWER. CITY OF LoS AHO'lLEI RA YMOND E. BADGER SA" Dll!lOO COUNTY WAT!:R AUTHO'I'ITY CARL C. BEVINS 1"'1'11:111"'1.. [IIIIIIO"T'OH D,'flllet J06EPH JENSEN MYRON e. HOLBUR"f THE METROI'OLIT"H WATER DIST'UCT 0" SOUTHER'" C...Lll"ORHllI STATE OF CALIFORNIA CHilI' EHGIHI!:ER E:XECUTWIE ..CII.TAIIY (olorado ~iver Board of (alifornia HAROLD F. PELLEGRIN ~ , \ , 302 CAL.IFORNIA. STATE BUILDtN.G 217 WEST FIRST STREET LOS ANGELES. CALIFORNIA 90012 August 13, 1971 DEAR GOVERNOR REAGAN: I have the honor of submitting to you and the Legislature the report covering the activities of the Colorado River Board for the calendar year 1970. The Colorado River furnishes approximately 75% of the water used in Southern California, as well as valuable hydro- electric energy and significant recreational opportunities. In carrying out its responsibilities of protecting the rights and inter- ests of California's agencies and citizens to the river's resources, the Board works with concerned federal agencies, members of Congress, its counterparts in the other six basin states and other state agencies. Some of the highlights during the year are briefly noted as follows: One of the major problems facing California's Colorado River water users is the river's increasing salinity. Water users in other Colorado River Basin states and Mexico also suffer from this degrada- tion of the water supply. The President of Mexico has stated that salinity of the Colorado River is the single most important issue between the United States and Mexico. During 1970, the Board completed studies and released a report entitled "Need for Controlling Salinity of the Colorado River." The preparation of this report was coordinated with the State Water Re- sources Control Board and the Department of Water Resources in order to obtain a unified State position on this important matter. The report identified the deleterious effects of future salinity increases on California's users, studied possible alternative procedures to re- duce salinity, and recommended: (1) that the key policy objective will be to maintain the salinity of the Lower Colorado River at or near present levels, and (2) that the establishment of an action pro- gram to control salinity in the basin should be undertaken. The report was widely distributed throughout California and the other states of the Colorado River Basin. Since the report was released, all of the basin states have now joined in supporting feasibility studies of the salinity control measures proposed in the report. The State Department has strongly supported the studies because of the interna- tional problem with Mexico, and the Bureau of Reclamation has trans- ferred funds within its budget in order to commence such studies. 3