QUALITY of WATER COLORADO RIVER BASIN Progress Report No. 23
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
QUALITY OF WATER COLORADO RIVER BASIN Progress Report No. 23 U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Upper Colorado Region 2011 Mission Statements The U.S. Department of the Interior protects and manages the nation’s natural resources and cultural heritage; provides scientific and other information about those resources; and honors its trust responsibilities or special commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated island communities. The mission of the Bureau of Reclamation is to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public. TABLE OF CONTENTS MISSION STATEMENTS .................................................................................................................. i SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 3 AUTHORIZATION FOR REPORT .......................................................................................... 3 LEGAL ASPECTS ................................................................................................................... 4 Water Quantity .................................................................................................................. 4 Water Quality .................................................................................................................... 5 CHAPTER 2 – SALINITY CONDITIONS ........................................................................................ 9 CAUSES OF SALINITY ........................................................................................................... 9 HISTORIC SALINITY CONDITIONS ..................................................................................... 11 FACTORS INFLUENCING SALINITY ................................................................................... 11 Streamflow ...................................................................................................................... 12 Reservoir Storage ........................................................................................................... 13 NATURAL VARIATION IN SALINITY .................................................................................... 15 AGRICULTURAL SOURCES OF SALINITY ......................................................................... 16 WATER USE BY MUNICIPAL & INDUSTRIAL USERS ....................................................... 17 ENERGY DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................................... 18 Coal Bed Methane .......................................................................................................... 19 FUTURE WATER DEVELOPMENT ...................................................................................... 20 COMPLIANCE WITH THE SALINITY STANDARDS ............................................................ 22 SALINITY CONTROL ............................................................................................................ 24 CHAPTER 3 – TITLE I SALINITY CONTROL PROGRAM .......................................................... 25 Coachella Canal Lining ................................................................................................... 26 Protective and Regulatory Pumping ............................................................................... 26 Yuma Desalting Plant ..................................................................................................... 26 Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District (WMIDD) ........................................... 27 CHAPTER 4 - TITLE II SALINITY CONTROL PROGRAM .......................................................... 29 U.S. BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT ............................................................................ 30 Program Administration .................................................................................................. 30 Planning .......................................................................................................................... 31 Science ........................................................................................................................... 31 On-the-ground Implementation ....................................................................................... 32 TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA) ............................................................... 33 NEW SALINITY PROJECTS AND INVESTIGATIONS .................................................. 34 MONITORING AND EVALUATION ................................................................................ 36 ACTIVE SALINITY CONTROL PROJECTS ................................................................... 36 U.S. BUREAU OF RECLAMATION ...................................................................................... 40 PROGRAM SUMMARY .................................................................................................. 40 BASINWIDE SALINITY CONTROL PROGRAM ............................................................ 43 AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT OF 2009, PL 111-5 (ARRA) ….44 PARALLEL PROGRAM ……………………………………………………………………....45 NEW RECLAMATION SALINITY PROJECTS ............................................................... 45 ONGOING RECLAMATION SALINITY CONTROL PROJECTS ................................... 47 COLORADO RIVER BASIN SALINITY CONTROL PROGRAM SUMMARY DATA ...... 55 REFERENCES CITED .................................................................................................................. 59 GENERAL REFERENCES ........................................................................................................... 63 APPENDIX A – SALINITY DATA ................................................................................................. 69 iii TABLES Table 1 - Quantified Sources of Salt Loading ............................................................................... 10 Table 2 - Upper Basin Depletion Projections ............................................................................... 21 Table 3 - Lower Basin Depletion Projections ............................................................................... 22 Table 4 - Salinity Control Requirements and Needs through 2030 ............................................... 24 Table 5 - WMIDD Irrigation Efficiency ........................................................................................... 28 Table 6 - BLM Salt Retention Estimates for FY 2006 - 2010 ........................................................ 33 Table 7 - Active Salinity Control Projects ...................................................................................... 36 Table 8 - USDA Salinity Control Unit Summary through 2010 ...................................................... 39 Table 9 - Paradox Well Injection Evaluation ……………………………………………………….... 52 Table 10 - Summary of Federal Salinity Control Programs ........................................................... 55 Table 11 - Summary of Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program Funding ........................ 57 Table 12 - Reclamation Basinwide Salinity Control Program Summary ....................................... 58 Table 13 – UCRB Agricultural Salinity Control Summary (tons) 2010 ......................................... 58 FIGURES Figure 1 - Sources of Salinity ......................................................................................................... 9 Figure 2 - Percentage of Salinity Damages ................................................................................... 11 Figure 3 - Colorado River Salinity at Lower Basin Compact Points .............................................. 12 Figure 4 - Mainstem Flow and Salinity .......................................................................................... 12 Figure 5 - Effect of Glen Canyon Dam on Colorado River Salinity at Lees Ferry ......................... 13 Figure 6 - Lake Powell Forebay near Dam, Dec 1964 to March 2010 Salinity Conc, mg/L .......... 14 Figure 7 - Lake Powell Inflow and Outflow Salt Concentration, mg/L ......................................... 15 Figure 8 - Photo of Coal Bed Methane Well .................................................................................. 19 Figure 9 - Historic and Projected Water Uses ............................................................................... 20 Figure 10 - 2010 Estimated Salinity Control Progress: BOR, NRCS & BLM ............................... 24 Figure 11 - Map of Title I Salinity Control Projects ....................................................................... 25 Figure 12 - Map of Title II Salinity Control Projects ....................................................................... 29 Figure 13 - BLM Salinity Control Funding Distribution .................................................................. 31 Figure 14 - NRCS onfarm Salt Controlled through 2010 .............................................................. 40 Figure 15 - Paradox Valley ........................................................................................................... 50 Figure 16 - Schematic of Paradox Project ....................................................................................