QUALITY OF WATER COLORADO RIVER BASIN Progress Report No. 22 U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Upper Colorado Region 2005 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 3 AUTHORIZATION FOR REPORT ............................................................................................ 3 LEGAL ASPECTS ...................................................................................................................... 4 Water Quantity ................................................................................................................... 4 Water Quality ..................................................................................................................... 5 CHAPTER 2 – SALINITY CONDITIONS ........................................................................................ 7 CAUSES OF SALINITY .............................................................................................................. 7 HISTORIC SALINITY CONDITIONS .......................................................................................... 9 FACTORS INFLUENCING SALINITY......................................................................................... 9 Streamflow ……………………………………..………………………………………………... 9 Reservoir Storage ……………………………………………………………………………... 10 Reservoir Initial Filling Salt Leaching Impacts to Salinity ................................................. 11 SALINITY TREND STUDIES .................................................................................................... 14 NATURAL VARIATION IN SALINITY ....................................................................................... 16 AGRICULTURAL SOURCES OF SALINITY ............................................................................ 16 UPPER BASIN IRRIGATION.................................................................................................... 17 WATER USE BY AGRICULTURE & MUNICIPAL & INDUSTRIAL USERS............................. 17 FUTURE WATER DEVELOPMENT ......................................................................................... 18 COMPLIANCE WITH THE SALINITY STANDARDS................................................................ 21 SALINITY CONTROL................................................................................................................ 22 CHAPTER 3 - SALINITY MODELING ......................................................................................... 23 ECONOMIC SALINITY DAMAGE MODEL .............................................................................. .23 COLORADO RIVER SIMULATION SYSTEM .......................................................................... 24 Salinity Model Verification .............................................................................................. .24 Future Salinity Projections ............................................................................................... 24 CE-QUAL-W2 RESERVOIR MODELING ................................................................................. 26 Model Calibration ............................................................................................................. 27 Future Salinity Scenarios ................................................................................................. 27 CHAPTER 4 - TITLE I SALINITY CONTROL PROGRAM ………………………………………….33 COACHELLA CANAL LINING .................................................................................................. 33 PROTECTIVE AND REGULATORY PUMPING....................................................................... 34 YUMA DESALTING PLANT...................................................................................................... 35 WELLTON-MOHAWK IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE DISTRICT........................................... 36 Acreage Reduction .......................................................................................................... 37 District Irrigation Efficiency Improvement Program ......................................................... 37 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) On-Farm Improvements Program ................................................................................... 37 Irrigation Management Services Program ....................................................................... 37 Research and Demonstration Program ........................................................................... 38 Education and Infomation Program ................................................................................. 38 Results ............................................................................................................................. 38 Status ............................................................................................................................... 38 CHAPTER 5 - TITLE II SALINITY CONTROL PROGRAM ......................................................... 41 USDA / NRCS .......................................................................................................................... 41 BLM .......................................................................................................................................... 42 Planning and Public Involvement .................................................................................... 42 Nonpoint Source Control ................................................................................................. 43 Point Source Control ....................................................................................................... 43 Estimating Salinity Control ............................................................................................... 44 RECLAMATION ........................................................................................................................ 44 Background ...................................................................................................................... 44 Public Review .................................................................................................................. 45 Guidelines ........................................................................................................................ 46 Performance Review ....................................................................................................... 46 CHAPTER 6 - OTHER WATER QUALITY ISSUES .................................................................... 49 PERCHLORATE ....................................................................................................................... 49 THM........................................................................................................................................... 49 ALGAE....................................................................................................................................... 49 TMDL's. ..................................................................................................................................... 50 URANIUM MINE TAILINGS. ................................................................................................... 51 REFERENCES CITED ................................................................................................................. 53 GENERAL REFERENCES ........................................................................................................... 56 APPENDIX A – SALINITY DATA .....................................................................................................63 ii TABLES Table 1 – Quantified Sources of Salt Loading ................................................................................ 8 Table 2 - Hydrology and Salt at Grand Canyon and Virgin River Streamflow Gages................... 12 Table 3 - Upper Basin Depletion Projections ............................................................................... 19 Table 4 - Lower Basin Depletion Projections ............................................................................... 20 Table 5 - Salinity Control Requirements and Needs .................................................................... 22 Table 6 - Probability of Exceeding Numeric Criteria ..................................................................... 26 Table 7 - Hydrology of the Individual Years Modeled and Percentage of Long Term Averages either 1964-2002 or 1992-2002) ................................................................................... 28 Table 8 - Statistical Hydrology for each trace arraying potential future salinity ranges below Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams .................................................................................. 30 Table 9 - District Pumped Drainage Return Flow ......................................................................... 39 Table 10 - USDA Salinity Control Program Summary .................................................................. 41 Table 11 - Estimated Salt Retained on BLM Lands ..................................................................... 44 Table 12 - Reclamation Basinwide Salinity Control Program Salt Controlled, tons/yr ................. 48 FIGURES Figure 1 - Sources of Salinity ........................................................................................................