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<br />to have storage facilities for the added moisture which can be triggered <br /> <br />when meteorological circumstances are favorable. <br /> <br />Geothermal Resources <br /> <br />.' <br /> <br />One of the few potential sources of energy which does not deplete <br /> <br />the world's dwindling supply of fossil fuels is the superheated mass <br /> <br />imprisoned ~ithin the earth's crust. Interest in development of this <br /> <br />potential was reflected in legislation enacted in the last Congress <br /> <br />which authorized the Secretary of the Interior to encourage geothermal <br /> <br />power development by lease of suitable public lands. <br /> <br />In addition to the power potential, there are substantial pos- <br /> <br />sibilities for added water supplies from geothermal wells by desalting <br /> <br />of the hot brines. We have been investigating this potential for the <br /> <br />last three years in the Imperial Valley of California and indications <br /> <br />are that as much as several million acre-feet of water may be available <br /> <br />annually together with a power output many times greater than that of <br /> <br />Hoover Dam. <br /> <br />It will require time and a rather considerable investment to <br /> <br />locate optimum sites for production wells and a prototype plant to <br /> <br />develop the, best meanS of realizing power and water from this vir- <br /> <br />tually untapped source. Our concern is that the resource be fully <br /> <br />utilized. It would be a waste of criminal magnitude and a waiver <br /> <br />of the national interest not to reclaim water as well as power <br /> <br />7 <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />\.\~ <br />3 <br />