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V. AUGMENTATION AND WATER MANAGEMENT POTENTIALS Present and anticipated future demands on the waters of the Colorado River ~equire a look at alternative sources of water through either development of new sources or a reallocation of use. Augmenting the flows of the river through one or a variety of means would increase the water supply and permit continued growth of water dependent developments. The concept of augmentation can be physically applied from within the Upper Basin; in the Lower Basin in conjunction with an exchange of water; or a combination of these factors. In accordance with provisions of the 1968 Colorado River Project Act, new water supplies developed through augmentation will first go to meet the Mexican Water Treaty obligation. Indications are that weather modification can be made operational in the Upper Colorado River Basin to provide a new water supply for beneficial use throughout the Basin. Current estimates are that. the water supply of the Colorado River could be increased by 0.9 to 1.3 million acre-feet annually through weather modification. For the Upper Colorado River Basin, the potential increase in annual water yield could be from 6 to 9 percent, a major contribution in meeting future water demands. This new water would be extremely low-cost water, presently estimated at $2.50 per acre-foot, and this is of great importance to the water constrained Colorado River Basin. There are, however, significant adverse environmental effects that will require careful evaluation and resolution. Development of geothermal resources in the Lower Colorado River Basin offers a potential for production of desalted water to augment the flows of the Colorado River and thus, through an exchange program, provide for the retainment and use of more water in the Upper Basin. Development of water from geothermal brines must be viewed in joint context with the development of geothermal power whereby the economics of joint development can be obtained to bring the cost of water down to acceptable levels. Because the geothermal resource lies under more than 2 million acres in the Imperial Valley of California, recovery of large blocks of power and water may have some formidable physical constraints. Smaller blocks of up to 100,000 AF might be developed with lesser constraints or detrimental effects. Expected costs of producing and delivering about 2.5 million acre-feet of desalted water to the Colorado River would range from $100 to $150 per acre-foot. A dual purpose sea water nuclear desalting plant on the Gulf or Pacific Ocean could also be considered to provide a water supply for augmenting the Colorado River through an exchange program. This would be relatively expensive water which the energy industrial complex could purchase when cheaper water supplies are not available. These Lower Basin augmentation potentials could be developed to meet that region's demands on the Colorado River; thus allowing the Upper Basin to retain additional amounts of the River's natural water supply for its use. A combination of weather modification, development of geothermal resources, and a dual-purpose nuclear power sea water desalting plant offers potential for a compatible system of water and energy development in the Colorado River Basin. 58