WSP05341

• File Number: 8278.100
• Description: Title I - Yuma Desalting Plant
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 12/23/1992
• Author: USDOI/BOR
• Title: Yuma Desalting Plant - Alternatives for the Interim Period
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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D. Do Not Operate the Desalting Plant and, After the Interim
Period, Purchase Alternative Sources of Water to be Used
to Meet the 1944 Treaty.

D(I). Shut down and Buy Out WMIDD

D(2). Deactivate and Lease or Fallow

E. Operate the Desalting Plant at Full-Scale Capacity.
E(I). Non-Federal Funding of Operation
E(2). Federal Funding

ALTERNATIVE AI: SHUT DOWN DESALTING PLANT

Under this alternative, the Desalting Plant would be disassembled. The
Desalting Plant would be locked up and not maintained, however a portion
of the facility would continue to be used for the Yuma Projects Office.
The time and costs for restarting the Desalting Plant in the future
(about 6 years and $70 million) would likely be prohibitive, making this
form of non-operation a permanent decision. Annual operating costs, as
shown in Table A, would be $1.3 million after the first year. The
$1.3 million per year would provide for necessary operating costs
related to the Yuma Projects Office, and for maintaining the bypass
canal. The water conserved by lining the Coachella Canal, combined with
irrigation management improvements would be used during the interim
period to replace the additional water released from storage to meet the
delivery obligation to Mexico. After the interim period, the water
delivery commitments to Mexico would be met by existing reservoir
storage for which the United States may have to acquire a right to use.

PROS:

Costs

As shown in Table 1, it is not necessary to operate the Desalting Plant
to meet the salinity differential with Mexico. While the United States
has spent nearly $258 million in constructing the Desalting Plant, the
Desalting Plant could be shutdown and disassembled. The primary
advantage of shutting down the Desalting Plant is the low annual
operating cost of $3.7 million for the first year, and $1.3 million per
year thereafter. The estimated $1.3 million annual operating cost does
not include any costs for acquiring water.

Availability of Coachella Conservation

During the interim period, the water conserved by lining the
Coachella Canal is still available for use to assist the Secretary as
replacement for the additional water released from storage to meet the
delivery obligation to Mexico. As discussed previously, as long as the

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