Utah Rep. John Curtis seeks to quell salinity in Colorado River

SALT LAKE CITY — Salinity within the Colorado River is a big downside and threatens to affect seven states, 30 Native American tribes and Mexico as a result of all these entities share this finite useful resource that flows for greater than 1,400 miles, supplies water for 40 million folks and irrigates 5 million acres of farmland.

To that finish, Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah, offered his invoice, the Colorado River Salinity Repair Act, throughout a Pure Assets Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries listening to earlier this month. The laws addresses the extreme salinity ranges within the Colorado River, which have vital environmental and financial impacts on Utah and different Western states.

“Extreme salt in our rivers can injury Utah’s iconic nationwide parks, restrict obtainable consuming water and have an effect on the water ranchers use to feed the nation,” Curtis mentioned. “This invoice is important for sustaining the Colorado River’s well being and utility, guaranteeing it continues to assist our communities and economic system.”

In a congressional listening to, Curtis defined the issue.

“You all know within the West we’re blessed with wonderful public lands and assets. Nevertheless, extreme salt in our rivers can injury websites in Utah’s iconic nationwide parks, restrict obtainable consuming water in a quickly rising state and tarnish the water that ranchers used to feed the remainder of the nation,” he mentioned.

He careworn that it’s a downside of historic proportions.

“Historic seas that when lined a lot of the Intermountain West left vital saline rock formations. When water contacts these formations, it dissolves and salt discharges into the Colorado River and its tributaries, thereby elevating the river’s salinity,” Curtis mentioned. “This causes environmental injury and lots of of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in financial losses annually for water customers.”

The invoice goals to boost the present Salinity Management Program, which has efficiently diminished salt ranges within the Colorado River for almost 50 years. Curtis’ workplace mentioned by implementing modern options and fostering partnerships, akin to these seen within the Washington County Water Conservation District, the laws will assist handle salinity and make hundreds of thousands of gallons of water extra usable.

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Extreme salt in our rivers can injury Utah’s iconic nationwide parks, restrict obtainable consuming water and have an effect on the water ranchers use to feed the nation.

–Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah

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Zach Renstrom, common supervisor of the Washington County Water Conservancy District, mentioned the transfer to increase the Colorado River Salinity Management Act will assist in a significant venture. The district has partnered with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to take away salt from close by Pah Tempe Springs, the second-highest salinity contributor in the complete river.

“If confirmed possible, this venture will add vital new provides to our native water assets whereas eradicating an environmentally dangerous toxin from the river,” Renstrom mentioned.

Amy Hass, govt director of the Colorado River Authority of Utah, launched an announcement that mentioned present challenges demand extra motion.

“For the previous 5 many years the state of Utah has benefitted from enhanced water high quality ensuing from the Salinity Management Program. Whereas mechanisms established by Congress to fund this system labored nicely initially, years of maximum drought on the Colorado River and diminished hydropower revenues require a repair to the funding construction. Utah helps HR7872 in an effort to assist the long-term sustainability of this system.”

Don Barnett, govt director of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Management Discussion board, mentioned it’s important to maintain up these efforts.

He pointed to the Pah Tempe Springs for example of why the work must proceed.

“The spring produces roughly 5,000 gallons of water per minute or greater than 7 million gallons every day. The springs launched and it is astonishing — 109,000 tons of salt. Take into consideration that. That’s 6,813 semitruck a great deal of salt yearly. The springs’ excessive salinity limits use and poses distinctive challenges to regional and native water provide,” he informed committee members.

So far as the salinity downside, it’s one situation the seven basin states have coalesced round, which is a uncommon factor with regards to water, Barnett mentioned.

“I might say that fifty years in the past, the seven Colorado River Basin States got here collectively and mentioned it is a basinwide situation. We’ll work collectively and we’ll cooperatively remedy the water high quality situation. And subsequently, even supposing there’s an terrible lot of stress and pressure on the river itself, water high quality itself has remained one thing that the states have labored unitedly on.”

Barnett was blunt when he addressed the urgency of Congress passing the modifications to the Salinity Management Act and if it fails.

“Will probably be a catastrophe.”