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...... co ...... 0) FOREWORD The natural resources of the West have contributed extensively to the prosperity and strength of the Nation, Some of these resources are renewable, others are not. Some are abundant, other s are scarce. The manner in which we husband our non-renewable resources will be of the greate st importance to coming generations, and the manner in which we apply ourselves to the planning, management, and con- servation of our renewable re source s will not only have a direct impact on today's citizens, but on the multiplying millions of futur'e Americans as well. In many sections of the West, one resource that is in scant supply is water, and, of all resources, water is the most essential. Water is largely a renewable resource which can be reclaimed and used again and again. At the present time, the State of Utah has available or under development in the Great Salt Lake area an ample supply of high quality surface water for municipal, industrial, and agricultural uses. These water resources, however, are not unlimited, and addi- tional supplies will be needed by the turn of the century, By using dcsalting processes, a major supply of saline water can be reclaimed and made available through recapture of salt-laden return flows which now enter Great Salt Lake, There is a growing need for sizeable blocks of electric power and energy to meet a major expansion in the mineral reprocessing industry which uses brines of the Great Salt Lake and to supply the needs of an expanding economy. The combination of a large reclaimable saline water supply, growing needs for water, power and steam for industrial use, and a natural means for disposal of the residual salt solution, all adjacent to the State's major population centers, creates a unique opportunity for desalting in the Great Salt Lake Basin, The availability of an abundant supply of fossil fuel and the increasing attractiveness of nuclear power assure s an adequate supply of low cost energy for this purpose, For the first time, the feasibility of developing a new source of fresh water to meet the future requirements of Utah through the construction and operation of a multi-purpose desalted water, power and process steam plant has been examined, The report provides a basis for considering desalting as an alternative source in the overall Utah Water Plan which is to be completed by 1971.