WSP02851

• File Number: 8271.300
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program - General Information and Publications-Reports
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 10/19/1982
• Author: LJ Paulsen
• Title: Use of Hydroelectric Dams to Control Evaporation and Salinity in the Colorado River System
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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This should be accompanied by similar investigations in Lake
Mohave and Lake Havasu to evaluate how evaporation rates and
salinity in those reservoirs would change with a surface
discharge on Hoover Dam. The operation of the proposed pump-
storage units (Spring Canyon and Rifle Range sites) should
be included in these investigations since it is likely they
can be used to further reduce evaporation in the reservoirs.
If water were withdrawn from the' hypolimnion of the reser-
voir with the pump-storage units and released via a diffus-
er into the epilimnion, it could result in significant
cooling of the surface waters.
There are, therefore, a number of possible ways to
operate hydroelectric facilities to reduce evaporative water
losses and salinity in the Colorado River system. Cold-water
discharges from Glen Canyon are already operating to reduce
!,val"jf'ation and salinity in Lake Mead. Operation of Hoover
Dam ft'om a surface discharge or use of pump-storage systems
to further cool surface waters could result in greater re-
duct.i.ons in evaporative water losses and salinity. These
methods would certainly help preserve precious water sup-
plies and water quality in the Colorado River.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am especially grateful to Mr. Gary Bryant, U.S.
Bureau of Reclamation, for his continual assistance and
support of our research program. Mr. Robert Barton, Mr.
David Overbolt, Mr. Gordon Mueller, Mr. David Solbeck and
Mr. Art Tuma of the Bureau provided reviews of the report. I
also wish to thank Mr. John R. Baker and James E. Deacon for
their suggestions and assistance; Ms. Sherrell A. Paulson,
Penelope E. Naegle for drawing the illustrations and edit-
ing; Jim Williams for the photographing and Laurie Vincent
for typing the report.

REFERENCES

1. U.S. Dept. of Interior (USDI). 1981. Quality of Water,
Colorado River Basin. Prog. Rept. 10. 190 Pl"

2. GAO. 1980. Water supply should not be an obstacle to
meeting energy development goals. Govt. Acct. Off.
Rept. No. CED-80-30. 79 Pl"

3. U.S. Dept. of Interior (USDI). 1977. Colorado River
vlater Quality Improvement Program. Vol. T. n.p.

4. Harbeck, G.E. Jr., M.A. Kohler and G.E. Koberg. 1958.
Water-loss investigations: Lake Mead studies. U.S.
Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 298. 100 Pl"

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