A framework for improving the effectiveness of the Colorado River Basin salinity control program, 2018-2023

2018·2.6 MB·English

by  Boyd, Robert

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BLM LIBRARY AU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
88073184f ramework for Improving the
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Effectiveness of the Colorado River Basin
Salinity Control Program, 2018-2023
January 2018
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2018
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Suggested citation:
Boyd, R., and C. Green. 2018. A Framework for Improving the Effectiveness of the Colorado River Basin
Salinity Control Program, 2018-2023. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management,
National Operations Center, Denver, CO.
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Bureau of Land Management
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A Framework for Improving the
Effectiveness of the Colorado River Basin
Salinity Control Program
2018-2023
Authors:
Robert Boyd, Technical Operations Branch Chief, BLM National Operations Center, Denver, CO
Cole Green, BLM Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program Coordinator,
BLM National Operations Center, Denver, CO
January 2018
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Mission Statement
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O The BLM Salinity Control Program protects water quality by
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reducing the transport of salt and sediment from its public lands
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R to the Colorado River within the Colorado River Basin. The BLM
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Land Policy and Management Act to (1) manage public lands

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according to multiple use and sustained yield and (2) provide
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implementation plans.
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E Guiding Principles
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O (1) The BLM Salinity Control Program develops and maintains
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comprehensive and dynamic modeling tools to quantify the
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L effectiveness of BLM management activities in retaining salt
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and sediment on public lands.

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F (2) The BLM Salinity Control Program is collaborative in nature
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S and engages with various federal and state partners and
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C (3) The BLM Salinity Control Program requires information and
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E effectiveness of salinity control efforts and evaluate progress
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in meeting water quality standards promulgated under the

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Clean Water Act.
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(4) The BLM Salinity Control Program promotes efforts
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to improve awareness of its goals, capabilities, and
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W (5) The BLM Salinity Control Program recognizes the changing
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information.
(6) Since the BLM Salinity Control Program’s effectiveness relies
upon watershed management concepts, the program interacts
with numerous BLM management activities to minimize
soil erosion and salt transport caused by surface disturbance
across public lands.
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Table of Contents 1
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Executive Summary.1
Introduction... 3
BLM Management Perspective.3
Purpose and Need for the Framework. 4
Partnership Roles and Responsibilities. 5
Framework Objectives.7
Summary.11
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Executive Summary
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The Colorado River is an important source of water for an international treaty, and provide a framework to W
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about 40 million people in portions of seven western assist states with administering Clean Water Act R
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states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New amendments passed in 1972. The Act relies upon F
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Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming). This water provides a unique partnership of federal and state agencies
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irrigation to almost 5.5 million acres of agricultural that continues to work cooperatively with numerous P
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crops, sustains habitat for numerous aquatic and regional water management agencies, hundreds of local
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riparian species, and provides abundant recreational companies, and thousands of individual water users N
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opportunities to residents and visitors. A variety of to reduce and maintain salt concentrations in the river T
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natural processes and human uses cause dissolved at an acceptable level as determined by numerical
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salt concentrations in the river to increase from about water quality standards. As an integral component F
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50 milligrams per liter (mg/L) near its headwaters in the of the partnership, the Bureau of Land Management
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Rocky Mountains to almost 850 m g/L near the border (BLM) is responsible for about 53 million acres within
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with Mexico. Excessive salt concentrations can result the Colorado River Basin and is required to reduce E
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in substantial environmental and economic damages. salt transport from these lands under subsequent

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Associated costs include loss of ability to irrigate amendments to the Act.
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some types of crops, increased water treatment costs E

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for domestic users, increased water treatment costs This framework identifies priority activities that the O
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for utilities to comply with Clean Water Act discharge BLM will focus on from 2018 to 2023 to improve O
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permit requirements, and increased costs for industry to management effectiveness of the Colorado River
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maintain boilers and treat water to meet manufacturing Basin Salinity Control Program. Specific objectives
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needs. Recent analyses by the Bureau of Reclamation include: (1) Continue implementing activities to reduce V
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indicate quantifiable damages from excessive salt salt and sediment transport; (2) Develop additional
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concentrations are about $382 million per year. capabilities to quantify and report effectiveness of S
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management activities; (3) Strengthen partnerships
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Congress passed the Colorado River Basin Salinity and increase collaboration with federal partners, L
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Control Act of 1974 (the Act) to address concerns by states, and other stakeholders; (4) Improve availability I
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water users about increasing salt concentration in the and access to monitoring data; and (5) Enhance and
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Colorado River, help resolve a longstanding dispute maintain technical expertise and project management N
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with Mexico about the quality of water delivered under capabilities. R
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BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
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Introduction
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The Colorado River is an important source of W
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water for about 40 million people in portions R
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of seven western states (Arizona, California, F
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Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and
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Wyoming). This water is used to irrigate almost P
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5.5 million acres of land. The Colorado River O
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also sustains habitat for numerous aquatic N
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and riparian species and provides abundant T
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recreational opportunities. The Colorado

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River flows more than 1,400 miles from its F
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headwaters in the Rocky Mountains, through
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the Southwest, and then through a portion of
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Mexico before it discharges into the Gulf of E
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California. A variety of natural processes and S

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human uses cause dissolved salt concentrations F
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in the river to increase along its flow path, E

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increasing from about 50 milligrams per liter O
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(mg/L) near its headwaters to almost O
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850 mg/L near the border with Mexico.
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Excessive salt concentrations can result in V
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substantial environmental and economic
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damages. Recent analyses by the Bureau of S
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Reclamation indicate quantifiable damages
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from excessive salt concentrations are about L
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$382 million per year. Damages include loss of I
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The Colorado River Basin covers portions of seven western states. Y
ability to irrigate some types of crops, increased
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water treatment costs for domestic users, N
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increased water treatment costs for utilities to comply local companies, and thousands of individual water R
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with Clean Water Act discharge permit requirements, users to maintain and improve water quality in the
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and increased costs for industry to maintain boilers Colorado River. O
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and treat water to meet manufacturing needs. R
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Congress passed the Colorado River Basin Salinity 0
BLM Management Perspective 1
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Control Act in 1974 to address concerns by water -
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users about increasing salt concentrations in the The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is 2
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Colorado River, help resolve a longstanding dispute responsible for about 53 million acres of public lands
with Mexico about the quality of water delivered under in the Colorado River Basin; this represents almost
an international treaty, and provide a framework to one-third of the total area of the basin (approximately
assist states with administering Clean Water Act 155 million acres). The BLM has been a partner in
amendments passed in 1972. The Colorado River salinity control efforts since the 1970s and has reli ed
Basin Salinity Control Act relies upon a unique on a comprehensive, three-pronged approach for
partnership of federal and state agencies that reducing salt transport to the Colorado River. Th is
continues to work cooperatively with numerous approach incorporates: (1) controlling point sources of
regional water management agencies, hundreds of salinity, such as discharges from abandoned wells and
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2 mines; (2) controlling nonpoint sources of salinity, effectiveness achieved by numerous programs
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activities through a number of land management natural resources; and lack of access to watershed
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M, programs and watershed restoration activities; and and water quality models with sufficient capability
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(3) preventing nonpoint sources of salinity from and spatial resolution needed to simulate, predict,
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O ongoing, authorized activities through land use and assess impacts of management activities on such
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P planning, permit stipulations, best management a large watershed with highly complex and variable

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N amount of salt and sediment retained by management
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I and sediment pollution prevented through erosion programs within the basin. This type of information is
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S control measures. Factors contributing to this difficulty important to understanding cumulative effectiveness

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E upland areas to tributary streams and rivers; variable evaluating progress in meeting numerical water
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O Purpose and Need for the
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F Through its Soil, Water, and Air Management
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Program, the BLM is developing capacity
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effectiveness of management activities in
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retaining salt and sediment on public lands
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salinity control efforts towards maintaining
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will focus on reducing erosion and sediment
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P transport to streams, which is consistent
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lands under principles of multiple use and
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sustained yield. The BLM also has identified
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W additional tasks and activities to increase
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and awareness of its salinity control program.
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The Bu reau of Land Management is responsible for about 53 million
acres of public lands (dark yellow) in the Colorado River Basin.
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