Proposal for Pilot Evaporation Pond

Home Browse Search

Paradox Valley Unit Proposal for Evaporation Pond Some of the many benefits of the proposed pilot evaporation pond include: 1. Observe Effect on Wildlife—The North American Migration Flyways map indicates that the Unit borders the west edge of the Central Flyway for migratory birds. The majority of migratory bird traffic in the region may occur further to the east as suggested by the map. Observations at the test pond would provide information about the frequency and duration of pond use by migratory birds that may pass through the area. Since the pond would be located close to the river,perhaps few birds would visit, and the duration of a stay may be less than it would otherwise be. The impact of a larger scale, long-term evaporation pond project on birds would be more accurately assessed based on information the pilot pond would provide. 2. Gather Air Quality Data—Tests would be performed to evaluate air quality at the evaporation pond. The data would be analyzed to better understand the extent of brine processing or filtration(e.g., stripping facility)that would need to be implemented to safely operate a compliant full-scale evaporation pond project. 3. Observe Actual Salt Disposal Rates—Many factors contribute to actual performance characteristics of evaporation ponds. The test pond would provide an opportunity to gather helpful data about evaporation rates specific to the project's ambient climate,topography, brine characteristics, etc. Information gathered from the test pond would be valuable in evaluating the feasibility of larger scale permanent operations and aid in their design and development. Tests could also be performed to evaluate possible winter evaporation with new technology to increase disposal rates. 4. Estimate Cost-Effectiveness of Evaporation Disposal Method—Upfront capital and maintenance costs are estimated to be significantly less for evaporation ponds than for deep well injection. The test pond will provide information to more accurately estimate the cost-effectiveness of disposal using evaporation as compared to other methods. 5. Capture More Salt—Preliminary calculations estimate that the test evaporation pond described above would dispose of approximately 18,000 tons of salt annually. This represents effective disposal of almost 80%of the salt loading that has been entering the Dolores River during the two twenty day periods when the injection well is shut down each year. The test evaporation pond and injection well would combine to capture a considerably higher percentage of the total salt loading at Paradox than what is removed by the injection well alone. 5