PUB00039

• Year: 1992
• Title: Bureau of Reclamation Durango Projects Office Information
• CWCB Section: Water Conservation & Drought Planning
• Description: Information about various Durango projects
• Publications - Doc Type: Historical

Paradox Valley in southwestern Colorado is a collapsed salt anticline
underlain by a salt dome. The dome adds about 205,000 tons of salt
annually to the Dolores River from ground water which originates in the
valley. The plan is designed to prevent 180,000 tons of salt annually from
entering the Colorado River system by pumping the saline ground water
(brine of 260,000 mg/L TDS) from shallow collection wells along the
Dolores River, thus preventing it from surfacing in the riverbed.

Deep well injection was selected as a test method to dispose of the brine
because it is technically sound, and environmental and economically
attractive. After a two-year test of the injection well, filtration plant
and pipeline to test the injection formation for disposal capacity, a
decision will be made whether to use deep well injection as a permanent
disposal method.

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PARADOX VALLEY UNIT

SALINITY CONTROL PROJECT

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MGOG

INJECTION WELL

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An InjidDn weI is cons1nJcled
in stages. Frn. a hole isdriBedto
a level below aD fresh or drinking
water zones. A steel surlace cas-
~ or pipe (1) is "laDed In the
driI hole. Cement is placed out.
side the length of the caslng (2).
This provides a barrier of Sleet
anj cement which protecls the
fresh water zones.

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OliDingcon\inuesintotheinjec-
lion zone (3). Another sleel cas-
Ing is installed (4), and cement is
~ to seal the casing (5).

A small pipe (6), called the jn.
jectiontubing, Is installed inside
the protective casing. The saline
wateror.....asle is injected lhrough
u.stubing.

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Figure 4. Colorado River Waler Quality Improvement
Program map.