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<br />gravity release, when needed by Western
<br />rivers;~ cities, and farms during the inevi-
<br />table dry years.
<br />
<br />Background
<br />In the early days of the U.S, Burea;'of
<br />Reclam21.tion, there were conflicting views
<br />regarding high-altitude vs. low-altitude
<br />storage. Although prof~ssi.onal engineers
<br />have long known that high altitudereser-
<br />voirs couldmultiply the potential use and
<br />reuse ~nefits for entire river systems,
<br />thel()w altitude view prevailed. This
<br />origina1-.direction was driven primarily
<br />by'the greater political Clout of Lower
<br />Basin States. As a result, most Western
<br />dams are on ri.vers in hot desert locations,
<br />wh~re:;x_!"m'{i:t:pJrme~t?-l .iI11P~cts, silt.
<br />bUlldup:an4 evaporation losses are high.
<br />: Headwater' Storage' would eventually
<br />coriiect'-many~of the"fundalllent3.1-envi~ .
<br />'ron~ental a.~.d ~corioinkproblems in~er-
<br />ent:withlow,altltudedams on rivers. '
<br />
<br />Flood Protection
<br />Western environments have' always
<br />suf\:ered fr"!J1 extreme flood and draught
<br />conditiorls,:Floods' are most damaging
<br />,when h~ayy;vinj;er snows are followed by
<br />earl3r_sp~ng th~w_~ and'tQ~ential, rains.
<br />Thes.~-: dan,gerous co~diiions are usually
<br />pre~ct801~'weeksand mopthsinadvance, .
<br />llsir;ig';',.routine 'sno'w measuri1)g" tech-
<br />niq~e$,High"VJl!tulltlPumping operations
<br />could greatly improve flood protection for
<br />W.~tern st,ate".by storing :some ,o[the
<br />potkhtial)y'd,imagingspringrunotr in
<br />higb.altitud~),~ff.river sites" The 'pump-
<br />illg;eosts;wO,~ld:he,Jnore than Offse, t, by
<br />",' - ",.:,.' ",' ,_ . - '.J" . ,;: ',,; _ _> ~
<br />pea!<ingpow,er'sales ~romthe reversible'
<br />pUmP 'generators during, high-demand
<br />sum1Ilepmdwiniermonths, FEMAc()uld
<br />estimate the 'significant value of addi.
<br />tionalfloo(j:pp>tectionfor the Western
<br />Region.' ,,', " ,,',
<br />
<br />Dl'Qught Protection" ,.'
<br />ijeadwater storage can convertdain~
<br />aging flood waters into liquid gold for
<br />entiTe river -basins during multi~year
<br />drought cycles. Tree.ring and sediment'
<br />
<br />:}(eadwater storage may be the on[y
<br />[ow-cost option for so[ving the growing
<br />naturaE resource prob[ems that are
<br />threatening the futures of a[[
<br />Western States.
<br />
<br />human needs.
<br />For example, Colorado-River Endan-
<br />gered Fish Eecovery Programs are being
<br />structured on the premise that spring
<br />snow-melt should flow freely down river
<br />to mimic natural
<br />runoff condi.
<br />tions. However,
<br />as discovered in
<br />the recent Grand
<br />Canyon experi-
<br />ment, the bio-
<br />logical needs' for
<br />river flushing
<br />can be achieved
<br />with periodic
<br />short duration
<br />floodsfrom high:
<br />,and low:altitude
<br />reservoi rs. On'
<br />balance;there-is_t}o_~c1entifieTeason why.
<br />the WestemRegion :Spould pennanently
<br />forfeit its invnJuable:headw~ters'to stor-
<br />age in hot desert' sites. In fact, there is
<br />~trong evidence t~ tl:t.e, contrary. .< C<:>lo-
<br />rad(),Riverr;:ndallgered Fish Recovery
<br />p,-oirl\ms ir~,yioJ\,~i,!,grjati()nq1e!lyir~n'
<br />.' .men taH\,~s;~e~a~~,the nigh ~o~t~.fr;'m
<br />,.l9sing these "ei>d",ater storngeopp,ortu,
<br />"nitles',to solv~the growlngPJatteancl
<br />Ar~an~s River" ]~asin -,"shortages' were
<br />.'-.PQt,:-cpnsidered .h1-~.-initial studies.) EPA
<br />andUSFWS could estimate theextraor,
<br />dinafy value' ofJle~dwate~'storage for
<br />:' enhancing el)dangeredspecies recovery
<br />efforts on bOth s~des ofthe Continental
<br />:' Pivide.," ',,: '
<br />
<br />_' ., "'._'7;- "",::.:." ^,: "."'., :'>'~:,," ._;, ',.,-:_ .
<br />~E:,ditting ~"J1lEWtanoo.meJl~' '>: "
<br />t'>:When'siiow'n!el t,flOOds',are',pump,ed
<br />"intoheadwater-storage, these saved, wa,
<br />terscan be used to multiply the drought
<br />protection and Clean 'power yields of eXM
<br />isti ng reservoirs on et thet: or both sides of
<br />any high mountain divide; For example,
<br />a computer analysis by,the C~fEn.
<br />gineerg has confirmed that, 60 00 acre
<br />feet from a propose ea water storage
<br />Slte in the Upper Colorado Riv~r Basin
<br />could multiply the drought yields of
<br />Denver's existing Platte and Colorado
<br />
<br />Western water and air fr.om headwater
<br />storage operations.
<br />
<br />Reduced Evaporation Losses
<br />The Western Region is currently losing
<br />
<br />several mmion acre feet per year via
<br />evaporation from low~altitude reservoirs.
<br />With headwater storage, evaporation
<br />losses can be substantially reduced. The
<br />resulting net gain in the ref;,>ion's water
<br />supply could more thnn cover the cost of
<br />gradually converting to reservoirs that
<br />would be covered with ice several months
<br />of the year. Interior could estimate the
<br />regional val ues of waters saved from usi ng
<br />high-altitude storage to reduce evapora-
<br />tion,
<br />
<br />Dam Replacement Program
<br />The Western Region needs a dam re,
<br />placement program for drought protection
<br />and growth. The traditional dams on rivM
<br />ers have limited life because they are
<br />steadilyfillingwith silt, Headwater reser-
<br />voirs would pennanently solve the silt
<br />buildup problem because they would have
<br />near infinite life when filled with clean
<br />snowMmelt where it originates.
<br />If life.cycle accounting methods were
<br />used to compare cost!benefit ratios, the
<br />true costs of headwater storage facilities
<br />would be miniscule and the conservation
<br />benefits astronomical over time. Federal
<br />agencies could ~eadily prl\ject the long,
<br />term economic and environmental value-s
<br />ofgraduaHy converting to headwater stor-
<br />
<br />an analysis of this proposed Colorado
<br />project would include estimates of the
<br />water, power, and environmental benM'
<br />efits that could be realized throughout
<br />the Colorado, Platte, and Arkans?s Hi ver
<br />Basins. .Preliminary
<br />conclusions could
<br />probably be obtained
<br />within 90 days, for less
<br />than $100,000. The
<br />modeling and lessons
<br />learned duri ng this
<br />analysis could also ap'
<br />ply to other potential
<br />Westemsite'sthathave
<br />the snowfall and topog,
<br />raphy needed for
<br />pumped headwater
<br />storage operations.
<br />Most Western head.
<br />water storage sites have not been identiM
<br />fled for two basic reasons. The federal
<br />si te surveys for reservoirs were conducted
<br />before advanced pumped storage became .
<br />a practical reali~y. Also, for many yeats,
<br />natural resource strateLrlsts hnve shied'
<br />away from considerin reservoirs of any
<br />kin , or mlsguided political and institu"
<br />tlOnal reasons.
<br />-
<br />
<br />Conclusion
<br />Ifthe Western Region is to have enough
<br />clean water, power, andairforitshuman
<br />and environmental needs in the next'
<br />centm.y, it must turn-to headwater stor~
<br />age as the fundamental cornerstone for,
<br />this new direction. In 'spite()f valuable
<br />demand~side con,servation concepts1 there
<br />.is no substitutetfor properIYMconceiv;ed~;:
<br />water storae-e PToie!:tS.- .
<br />The West. sorely needs a new water
<br />storage direction, based on good science,
<br />to unite the varied factions [hat have
<br />caused confusion.-conflicts, and gridlock.
<br />If we continue to 'demonize all wat;r
<br />storage projects, we will continue to-waste. '
<br />our renewable r~ources, harm' OUT- en-;
<br />vironments"and increase public costs.
<br />Western leaders have a golderl oppor.
<br />tunity to setan innovative new course for
<br />the 21st Century;
<br />
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