Water Quality: Information on Salinity Control Projects in the Colorado River Basin.
Abstract
The salinity of the Colorado River increases dramatically as the river makes its 1,400-mile journey from its headwaters in Wyoming and Colorado to its termination in Mexico. Nearly half of the salinity is caused by nature--when, for example, groundwater flows through salt formations and enters the river or when saline springs contribute their salt to the river. But another major contributor to the river's salinity is the use of the water for agriculture. Simply put, when water is diverted from the river for irrigation, the river's salinity increases as the level of water is depleted. Some of the diverted water, once applied to crops, then seeps into the ground, picks up salt from the soil, and returns--now with a much higher saline content--to the river. Because less water remains in the river to dilute the salt, salinity increases.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 11, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADA296366
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office