ABSTRACT
The federal government's activities to maintain deliveries to Mexico of Colorado River water of adequate quantity and quality have been haphazard and costly. Even the need for salinity control measures, such as the Yuma desalting plant, is a result of the government's lack of foresight about the effects that major storage works on the Colorado River and diversions of water from the river would have on the flows left to enter Mexico. As discussed in this chapter, purchase or lease of water from willing sellers would be one way to reduce the cost of operating the desalting plant.
