The salinity control program of the

The salinity control program of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for the Colorado River (6) includes extracting from the active hydrologic system identified naturally occurring point-source brines for evaporation in isolated salt sinks. By extracting these large amounts of salt, the salt load of the river is reduced and the required leaching fraction of the basin is decreased since less water is required for dilution of the remaining salts in the river. The downstream water quality is preserved and additional water can be consumed in the river system to the limit of the downstream water quality criterion. Other phases of the U.S.B.R. salinity control program include reduction of the seepage losses in canal systems in the Grand Valley to reduce dissolution of residual salts in the soil profile, and decreasing deep percolation in the Wellton-Mohawk project to decrease displacement of saline groundwater. Seepage reduction also reduces the rate of displacement of saline groundwaters as does increasing irrigation efficiency.