WSP06497

• File Number: 8270.100
• Description: Colorado River Basin Water Quality/Salinity -- Misc Water Quality
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 1/1/1974
• Author: USDOI
• Title: Colorado River Water Quality Improvement Program - Status Report
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

dike arOund The POI'l!S of eruPT'On TO collect the
disChargl;'s and then convey the water by p;pelme to <In
evapOration pond some 3 miles "way. Two JllerflJtives
will be presented far construCtion of the re1aming dike.
The less expensive of the two WOuld use a conCrete
w,,/1 for rmPJunding the Water at Ihe geyser Site as
Compared to a more COsTly but mare esthetically
pleasmg SOil'ct'mer!! dike In the second plan.

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LAS VEGAS WASH UNIT, NEVADA

wh'ch WOuld reduce TOtaf dlno/ved solids
Con~ntratlOns at fm/llnial Dam by aboUI 9 mg/1.

A feasibility report on The LaVer kin Sprmgs Unit IS
Undergomg em tnhouse review af the present lime. One
alternative calls for the COnstruction of an upper
diverSIOn dam UPstream frOm the SPflngs to divert the
nO/mal riverflows arOUnd The area 01 the springs. The
lower COnlrol dam WOuld be locaTed JUSt below the
springs TO form a pao' from which the Springs' flows
\'IIould be PUmped to the laVerkln DeSalting Plant. The
average inflow 10 the reverse OsmosIs de$.Jhing plant
would be 11.5 cis through a 21.inch COncrete preSSUre
pipe. It will be neCl'ssary to pretreat the feedwater in
the form of calclI.jm reduction, COoling. and fiftration.
A desalting alternative mlg"'t consist ot Ihree stages 01
vesst'ls Containing semipermeable membranes. Since the
recov!!ry 01 SOme water In each stage Would increase
the Oflne concentrallon passed to the SUcceed'"g sta.ge.
increasmgly highl;" preSSures would ble' required to
elteCtlvely reCOlfer ildditional water. A product wale,
of 8.3 cis WOuld lJl' 'ecovelt'd ilf a safinl/y
concentraTion 01 500 rng/J. A brine diScharge of 2.8cfs
WOuld Iito' at il concentration of 33.000 mg/f,

The PloeJuCt Watl'r Would be returned to the Vlrgm
A,.....r through a 1,600.loOl_long Plpelme. A 12'mctJ
Plp~fllle <II mOST 19.000 leet long Would be used 10
Pump lhe b"lle to if 440-acfe eVdPOriltloll nand formed
by diking a natural de~lIeSSIOn aboUl 4 mlfl's north of
Hurricane, Ulah. The dikes would be folred earthlill
emlJankmle'llts lilled With 10'mi! PolYVinyl chlorid~'.
The le'ntlfe POnd woultl be lined With 10.mil
POlyvlnvl-chlaroue sheeling COVered With 12 mchle's at
le'ilrlh.

PALO VERDE fRRIGATlON DISTRICT UNIT
CALIFORNIA

There il'e abOUT 91.400 acres rnl9atl'd III lhe locally
developed dlStrlCl alollg thle' Colorado River In
CalifornIa The Irrlgallon of the distrlcl lands resulls in
a salt PICkup 01 about 148,000 tOns of Sil11 per year.
The If"gi/tlon mana9~ment services dnd Wate, SYSlems
Improvement Programs should result m a redUCtion of
dbout 23.000 tans m dissolVed solids Per year The
mrrespOnd,ng reduction In S<llm'ty Concenlratlon at
Imperial Ddm IS abOut 3 mg/f.

Also a Pllvate POwer company IS investlgalll1g the
potentIal of using return Haws from the Palo Verdt'
drain far nuclear pOwer Plant COolin9_ The diversion of
such salmI' flows COuld 'esult In sl9ndicant Salmiry
reductions dt ImpeflaJ Dam,

9

Las Vegas Wash serves as a surface drijm for all
domestiC, muniCipill. and Indust,ial wastewarers Irom
Lils Vegas VaHey. The average <fnnuill dlSChdrge from
the Wash fa lake Mle'ad is about 38.000 acre. feet which
Carries dpprOlllmately 208,000 tons of diSSOlved sol,ds.
Because of the rapidly incfeaslng f>OPulal'on of lht.'
vaHey, the ,mnual dIScha,9t.'s of \....att.', and silll ale
eXPt'ctpd to mcrease in the nellt few deCil{Jes.

One dltNnatlve WOuld colJect ground-wilfer flows ill <I
natura! "barrier" With a groule(j CUrtain Willi and il
sefles of PI!rfOrated PipeS. The co!teCted dismarges
courcj be PUmped to a nearby reverse OsmosIs deSalting
prall!. Manmadl.' sur/act;! /lows 10 the Wash Would l}{'
diverted and COnveYC'd arOund Ihe 9rouIl!1'\Vater
collection s'te. The Pfoduct water from the deSdltlOg
plant Would be joined wllh the surfdce lIow5 for
Invalley use Or releilse 10 lake Mead. The brUle reSIdue
Would be placed In a lined evaporillion POnd near the
projeCt site 01 PUmf)t.'d to Dry lake northeasl of Las
Vegas for evapOration. Othle'r alternatives such as
e_POrt to D,y Lake for lotal evaporation ilfe still under
IOVestlgatlon,

It IS estlmilled thaI the las Vegas Wash Unil Would
remove 138,000 tans of saft per year frOm the
Colorado River SYstem resultmg in salinity 'educt Ions
of about 13 mg/I at rmpenal Dam.

A SpeCial report ShOWing POSSible SOlutions to the
problem was completed In January 1974. Feasjbllil.,.
IOvestlgatlons on the Las Vegas Wash Unit are
scheduled through FY 1976.

LaVERKIN SPRINGS UNIT, UTAH

The LaVerklO SpflOgS are located 10 a 1.800-fOol.long
reach 01 rhe TimpOwf>ap Canyon of the Virgin River m
SOuthwestle'rr; Utah. The 5pflngs diScha'ge abOut 8,300
acre.feet 01 .....ater and 109.000 IonS of salt each year.
A feaSibility Study has been prePared that shows
103,000 tans of th,s salt COuld l)€ remOved ilnnual/y