WSP07972

• File Number: 8272.100.60
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 10/1/1993
• Author: CRBSCF
• Title: 1993 Review - Water Quality Standards for Salinity - Colorado River System
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

effectiveness, technical feasibility, social and political acceptability and environmental
considerations. The plan of implementation consists of:

1.

Completion of Reclamation, BLM and USDA salinity control measures shown in
Table 4.1 to the extent that each unit remains viable and appropriately cost
effective.

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2.

Imposition of effluent limitations, principally under the National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) 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 for Implementation of Colorado River Salinity
Standards Through the NPDES Permit Program" (Appendix B).

3. Implementation of the Forum-recommended "Policy for Use of Brackish and/or
Saline Waters for Industrial Purposes. (Appendix B).

4. Implementation of the Forum-recommended "Policy for Implementation of the
Colorado River Salinity Standards Through the NPDES Permit Program for
Intercepted Ground Water" (Appendix B).

5. Implementation of the Forum-recommended "Policy for Implementation of the
Colorado River Salinity Standards Through the NPDES Permit Program for Fish
Hatcheries" (Appendix B).

6. Implementation of nonpoint source management plans developed by the states and
approved by BPA. .

Item 1 of the plan of implementation listed above is to be implemented by federal
agencies in conjunction with state, local and private participants. The Forum works jointly with
federal agencies on developing the units and measures to be implemented. The Forum also
urges Congress to appropriate needed funds and to amend legislative authorization when
necessary. Items 2 through 6 above are primarily implemented by each of the Basin states. The
federal efforts that are a part of this plan of implementation and supported by the states are
described in Chapter 4. The states' efforts are described in Chapter 5.

The Forum believes it should assess whether implementation of the salinity control
program maintains salinity at some interim point at or below the numeric criteria as provided
for in the standards. For this report, the Forum has decided to look ahead about 20 years to the
year 2015. If the plan is implemented, the projected salinities, in the year 2015, at the three
criteria stations (below Hoover, below Parker and at Imperial Dams) will be 43, 49 and
62 mg/L, respectively.

There are advantages to keeping the salinity levels below the numeric criteria. The
Colorado River salinity effort was created, in part, to prevent additional economic damages
caused by continuous and persistent long-term salinity levels. With the estimated projected

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