WWRC 84-21
Salinity Regulation and Irrigation Development: Welfare and Conservation Implications
Introduction
When water use problems cannot be effectively solved by individual or
local initiative, the public sector has acted to achieve a balance. In most
cases, government management policies have included imposition of regulations.
For example, in the Upper Colorado Basin as anticipated water use increases,
water quality questions arise regarding downstream water use (Padungchai,
1980; Wyoming State Engineer, 1977b; and Hyatt, 1970). The government policy
includes among others a salinity standard administered by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). While salinity does not impose much damage to water
users in the Upper Basin, significant damages are imposed on water users in
the Lower Basin in the form of crop damage, decreased soil productivity, high
treatment costs, pipe corrosion and greater use of detergents and chemicals.
An agreement between Upper Basin States and ERA in 1974, requires
that salinity not exceed 1972 levels at Lee's Ferry, Arizona. In 1976, EPA
imposed salinity standards below Hoover Dam, Parker Dam and Imperial Dam in
the Lower Basin. Anticipated energy and agricultural development In the Upper
Colorado River Basin states could be affected by the salinity standards
imposed by the EPA. For example, surface mining operations for coal, oil
shale and tar sands will expose new geologic materials to the atmosphere and
could contribute additional salt to surface and subsurface runoff. Also,
additional withdrawals of surface water to meet expanding energy and agriculture
needs will increase the salt concentration of remaining river flows. Thus,
the appropriation of presently unused surface water for energy, agricultural
and domestic purposes could increase the salinity for downstream users.
This paper focuses on the welfare implications associated with increased
agricultural and energy development within the Green River drainage basin, an
area of rapid energy development in Wyoming, both with and without EPA
salinity regulations. A secondary objective of this paper is to estimate the
impact of alternative water conservation and salinity management practices
given the increased development in the basin. The paper is organized in the
following manner. The next section discusses the water resources, practices
and quality issues of the Green River Basin. The analytic model used in the
analysis is discussed in section three and the results, discussion and
conclusions are presented in section four.
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