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<br />July; 1997 !Page 7
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<br />GUEST EDIT.ORIAL
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<br />Headwater Storage - The Sustainable Western Solution For Clean
<br />Water, Power, andA:ir'Needs In the 21st Century
<br />
<br />byD",veMiller'
<br />Independent Water Resource Planner
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<br />Intl"odu~W>n ,,' , '
<br />Be~~el'S'w~;:~ th'; firstbullders of head.
<br />water:!ltorag~ inth" arid West. Their
<br />, d~sil1nd "wethmds have reduced envi-
<br />ro'nmental"dainage from 'floods and'
<br />d,.ot;gpt$for thousands of years,
<br />Thi.attic)e briefly explains how a tech-
<br />nifal 'a.dapta~ion' ofnature's original dam
<br />,builders"can...""e as the sustainable
<br />W~Jtel;i~{'~~hli.fb~~.for:dean', water ;.power,
<br />and"air.needs intJ1e 21st, Century. The
<br />cOllcept is simple, affordable, and long
<br />, over~'le,Infact, headwater storage may
<br />beth'; only low-costoption for solving the
<br />groWing natural resource problems that
<br />are threatening the futures of all West-
<br />ern .states,
<br />
<br />, Headwater Storage Defined
<br />, A typical headwater storage project
<br />would employ advanced pum ped storage
<br />technology to- provide renewable clean
<br />w~ter and, power supplies, during the
<br />"regiOIl's critical multi.year drought cycles,
<br />The,concept involves high,volume pump.
<br />ing-ofwet year snow~melt into off-river,
<br />" -glac:i~r.carved~ reservoir sites. These
<br />'" conserved ,floodwaters would then be
<br />
<br />studies show Western environments are
<br />vulnerable to droughts that can last!'p to,
<br />10 or more years. 'High aIWo\idere,;.-r-: '
<br />voirs are the only practicalway:to,cim-
<br />serve wet year snow~rnelt in:"'suJfid~pt,:.
<br />quantities to protect both human' arid,'.
<br />natural needs, during many years '()(s.e.';::
<br />vere drought. .' .' ".:",,,_.:,,:;,,,;,
<br />The clean waterJ,power) mid air:ben/>
<br />efits from augmenting rivedlows, during
<br />droughts are worth many billions of dol:
<br />lars for the imp;"', ted river ballins. When
<br />a river basin is "n a long dr~ugIi1i,itis J;OO::;
<br />late to build water storage: of any kind>
<br />The Departments of Agriculture. ,Com-
<br />merce, and Interior, "ndFERC,WA!1A,
<br />and FEMA could estimate the nlUltiple
<br />values of additional Western waters duro
<br />ing long droughts,
<br />
<br />Endangered Species Recovery
<br />Since the Great Depression"Western'
<br />water policies have swung frol)J priority
<br />construction of big dams-on rivers to the
<br />curren tly popular view that rivers should
<br />be restored to their natural state for en..
<br />datlgered species r~covery. Both ofthese
<br />extremes have,bel'!::n .4-riven. ~ore _by po-
<br />litical pressures thatl, technical merit, A-
<br />Westem water policy. based on the veri- ,
<br />liable science of ' headwater storage, is
<br />1 l,.." ..1 "'.3 _,_ .~..u. _' _ . __ _ _ _ _1
<br />
<br />River Basin reservoirs by 111,000 acre
<br />feet, Although not yet quantified, the
<br />guaranteed drought releases from this
<br />same 900,000 acre feet facility could also
<br />enhance the renewable power and water
<br />supply etliciencies of all existing do~n
<br />stream dams on the Colorado, Plattes and
<br />Arkansas RiVers, (Unfortunately, the po-
<br />tential multiple benelits of headwater
<br />storage may be in jeopardy, because of
<br />, recent short.sighted .claims that federal
<br />hydropower rights can preempt headwa-
<br />ter storage rights of Upper Basin St.~tes,)
<br />Interiorcould estimate the multiple water
<br />and power values that headwater storage
<br />would add to existing dams throughout
<br />the Western Region.
<br />
<br />, Water and Air Quality Enhancement
<br />In general, the highestquaJitywatersin
<br />.the West are found at high altitude from
<br />snow-melt. Multi-year droughts and low.
<br />altitude reservoirs tend toconcentratesalts
<br />and other river pollutants during periods
<br />oflowflow. When clean snow-meltissaved
<br />in headwater storage to augment river
<br />flows when drought demands for water
<br />and PO,wet are high, the region1s overall
<br />water and air quality can be greatly im.
<br />proved. The Environmental Protection
<br />Agency could estimate the important eco-
<br />.
<br />
<br />
<br />age for the Westem Region:
<br />
<br />Western Water, Power, a~d Air: ..
<br />There are 14 federal ageI}cies,!!~d'~I1.
<br />undetermined ,number, of state anc\,loca\ ',:
<br />entitles that are involved with gove;;iJi'~g'.
<br />water1 power, and ai.r in: the.'W~.~.e:r'l\_
<br />Region. These well-meaning ,0tgal)iz;1:,kC
<br />tions have joi ntly created a costly gridlotk .
<br />, "
<br />fOT using and protecting these Te~out;.es~_,>","
<br />There is simp.ly no clear theme on which',:. .
<br />to build consensus, policies, and ac~i~J;l':;J
<br />for the next century. Headwaters~rage',L" "
<br />holds great promise as the unifyjngcpr;" :
<br />neTstone for reducing wastefu.l ~onf1kt~~:';,
<br />among the diverse authorities governing, ';,,: .
<br />Western natural resources. Whenthese,',,: "
<br />organizations have clear policy directions"
<br />to pursue headwater storage, intra!~nd>(,:
<br />in~rMbasin cooperation would "'"sQop fol~".
<br />low throughout ,the West. G~verpi'1ii",
<br />agencies may resist the policy switch',to",:
<br />headwater storage because collaborative '
<br />solutions usually streamline manege...
<br />ment"actiyities. . ""
<br />Verification of Headwater Storage
<br />Concept
<br />I/W estern leaders wishtoquicklyverify,
<br />the unprecedented "dvantagesof head--
<br />water storage, they co~ld do so. with a
<br />simple costlbenefi t analysis oftheregjon's
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