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May 26, 2007
Salton Sea Plan
California state Secretary of Resources Mike Chrisman has released the state's official Salton Sea restoration proposal. The Desert Sun is providing a PDF version of the plan and a map, from which I extracted this image:
They say the restoration will cost $8.9 billion. If you can fix the Salton Sea at that price, then it's a bargain. Two flies in this ointment, however, are that it does NOT have the support of Imperial County nor the Torres Martinez Indians. That could kill the plan pretty nicely. The Indians are saying the plan doesn't do enough to control air quality (they mean blowing dust). The articles don't say much about why Imperial County objects, but it may be "recreation opportunities". As I look at that map and consider the proximity of the Ocotillo Wells OHV area, I imagine some off-roaders will find a way to get out there and tear up that playa. But that brings us back to air quality issues again.
They do kindly provide a 2005 cost estimate for my favorite plan: a pipeline from the Pacific. The infrastructure alone would cost $49 billion, and by that I assume they mean the construction of it, while actually operating it would take more bucks.
Filed under Coachella Valley | permalink | May 26, 2007 at 08:40 AM
Comments
I agree that large dry areas of sea bottom are going to be an environmental risk, but clearly you've studied almost nothing on the various plans to save the sea. The reason the sea is shrinking is that agricultural runoff has been cut back, partly to provide additional water for San Diego. That water is Colorado River water. They don't have more Colorado River water to dump into the sea.
From one of the linked articles that you didn't bother to read: "The upper gulf, the Colorado River's delta, is considered a biosphere protected by strict Mexican and United Nations regulations. Permitting, discharges, water rights, water quality, treatment of water to prevent non-native species, and other issues would make such a plan difficult to accomplish, said Dale Hoffman-Floerke, chief of the California Department of Water Resources' Colorado River and Salton Sea Office."
The plan to build a pipeline the California Pacific coast is addressed in my original post.
I haven't heard of any concerns about the salinity of the sea. I believe the fish die-offs have been due to overgrowth of algae in the sea caused by the agricultural runoff which is rich in fertilizers, among other things. De-salinization requires so much energy, it can only be justified to create drinking water.
Posted by: Ron's Log at May 29, 2007 12:53:12 PM
They are concerned about the over salinity of the sea. If they reduce that salinity the fish will stop dying off. As far as additional water they would either need to divert some Colorado river off every now and then to replenish the sea or have what was the one good idea in the plan have water exchange between the gulf and the sea through pipes. The desalination plants would be merely used to keep the salinity in check and the extra salt they harvest as a result could be sold to offset some of the costs only, not designed to profit but to midigate environmental concerns. I feel it would be terrible if they dry the sea up because it is a beautiful sea and great water feature to the desert.
Posted by: at May 29, 2007 11:12:52 AM
Where's this runoff water going to come from? The reason the sea is shrinking and endangered now is that the amount of agricultural runoff is being reduced.
But let's just say that suddenly a new huge amount of runoff water appears. Why desalinate it? Just to sell the salt?! There are lots of much, much cheaper ways to get salt.
You're right that a dry lake bed is a great risk, but the state plan has some ideas that are intended to mitigate that. I suggest you go read it.
Posted by: Ron's Log at May 29, 2007 9:34:23 AM
If they were smart they would place desalinization plants to separate and reduce the salinity and use runoff to replace the volume and replace the water. With the extra salt they extract they could sell off-setting the costs of building the plant[s]. Absent that, any reduction in sea size will prove a costly catastrophe for the upper west valley in the summer. There is a hundred years worth of sediment and dead stuff that would blow in the form of massive dust clouds that would shroud our areas in the summer monsoon winds if they dry the sea in anyway.
Posted by: at May 28, 2007 8:48:33 PM
I'm pretty sure all the reasonably affordable plans call for reducing the area of the lake. Do you know of a plan that doesn't?
Posted by: Ron's Log at May 28, 2007 4:23:14 PM
That is the dumbest idea ever and biggest waste of money. They are going to dry up most of the sea creating dust storms in the summertime for the upper valley to breath.
Posted by: at May 28, 2007 12:06:14 PM
