WSP00132

• File Number: 8271.300
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program - General Information and Publications-Reports
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 6/1/1980
• Title: Use of Saline Water in Energy Development
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

for energy development would improve the
overall quality of the Colorado River.

Recommendations
1. Conduct detailed inventories of the
depth, quantity, and quality of brsckish
and saline groundwater in areas where signi-
ficant demand for these waters for energy
development seem likely. This will neces-
s itate drilling wells and conducting pumping
tests.

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3. Groundwater data for the basin are
limited, but an approximate inventory makes
it clear that the amounts of currently unused
brackish Bod saline groundwater in the
basin are large relative to the anticipated
quantities of water that will be required
for anticipated energy development in the
basin.

4. Any brackish or saline water that
can be used for energy development purposes
will have the effect in the system of a new
source of supply, and will free water of a
better quality for other USes.

2. Conduct more detailed inventories to
determine the quantity, quality, avail-
ability, and location of brackish and saline
surface water that may be available for
energy development purposes, such as saline
springs and irrigation return flow.

5. An immediate source of low quality
water in the basin is saline springs and
irrigation return flows. Use of this water

@ STRIP COAL MINES
@ UNDERGROUNO COAL MINES
@ COAL-FIRED ELECTRIC GENERATING PLANTS
@) COAL CONVERSION PLANTS
@ OIL SHALE PROJECT
~ URANIUM MINES
@ URANIUM MILLS AND ENRICHMENTS
@ OIL REFINERIE:S
~COAL SLURRY fllPELlNES
@.PETROLEUM ~ NATURAL GAS
PIPELINES
@ NATURAL GAS PROJECT
(f) TAR SANDS PROJECT

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Figure 13, Future energy-related projects in the Upper Colorado River Basin (Rich 1978),

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