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<br />, <br />. r \_ <br /> <br />'~~ <br />;~- <br />~ <br /> <br />~.'...' <br />~~ <br /> <br />Utilization of the pumping concept from a brine well field and pumping <br /> <br /> <br />along the Dolores River in Paradox Valley about 10 miles to Rock Creek <br /> <br /> <br />Reservoir for evaporation was considered. A solar_ evaporation study on <br /> <br /> <br />the Rock Creek Reservoir site has shown that the reservoir would have a life <br /> <br /> <br />of about 75 years based on a 5 cfs brine inflow rate. <br /> <br />The reservoir could be designed to handle a smaller brine inflow. However, <br /> <br /> <br />the storm runoff area involves much of the La Sal Mountain range and a <br /> <br /> <br />diversion tunnel would be necessary to divert the runoff through Sinbad <br /> <br /> <br />Valley. This valley is a collapsed salt dome and the diversion of runoff <br /> <br /> <br />may carry more salt into the Dolores River from Sinbad Valley. Also the <br /> <br /> <br />size of dam required would be extremely expensive. <br /> <br />Another plan considered using a gravity flow brine pipeline down the Dolores <br />River thence up into Buckhorn Reservoirtominimizep~ping the brine flow. <br />A brine well field producing a flow rate of 5 cfs would be transported by <br />a pumping plant and an 18" diameter pipeline into Buckhorn Reservoir. <br />Buckhorn Reservoir is large enough to handle a brine flow of 5 cfs, however, <br />the dam is very large and expensive. The dam structure cost alone is <br />over $65 million. <br /> <br />An alternative involving non-development of the Paradox Vall~y Salinity <br /> <br /> <br />Control Project would benefit a few people in the Paradox Valley area. <br /> <br /> <br />At the same time water users in Arizona, California, and Mexico would <br /> <br /> <br />continue to suffer damages of approximately 3 to 4 million dollars annually <br /> <br /> <br />because of salt loading to the Dolores River from Paradox Valley, <br /> <br />Non-development is far more costly to people of Lower Basin states than <br /> <br /> <br />the cost of developing a salt mitigating project in Paradox Valley. Effects <br /> <br /> <br />of the project on local people would vary somewhat depending on the plan <br /> <br /> <br />selected, but in any case, these effects appear minimal. Non-development <br /> <br /> <br />would be a viable alternative if environmental advantages greatly exceeded <br /> <br /> <br />the monetary benefits to lower Colorado water users. <br /> <br />0\(6 7 <br /> <br />25 <br />