WSP07376

• File Number: 8278.100
• Description: Title I - Yuma Desalting Plant
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 8/1/1988
• Author: USDOI/BOR
• Title: Operation and Maintenance Funding for the Yuma Desalting Plant, Draft Special Report
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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The high runoff frcrn 1983 through 1985 "flushed" the reservoirs of salt,

thereby reducing the salinity of the Colorado River water arriving at

Inperial Dam. Because the salinity is now in the 650 p/m range, instead of

a target 879 p/m, it is likely that the salinity differential betilCcn

Inperial Dam and NIB will exoeed 115 p/m in 1989 and could exoeed 145 p/m

(See Table 2, Case 2). Reclamation's Regional Offica is =ent1y looking

at potential structural changes so that sane drainage flows frcrn the YUlIB

area can be bypassed, along with the Wellton-M::>hawk drainage flows, to the

Santa Clara Slough so that Minute 242 can be net. The only other

alternative would be adding dilution flows above the 1.36 maf to be

delivered to NIB which would be even more costly in tenns of total water
lost to the United states.

When YDP is operational, it will be placed in a standby mxIe whenever

releases are required due to a lack of available cons=tion storage

spaoe. When the plant is operated to conserve Wellton-M::>hawk drainage

flows, it will noDllally be operated at the mi.niJrum capacity required

to rreet the Minute with untreated drainage flows being diverted into the

Colorado River.

Table 2 shows a ntm1ber of different cases, both with and without YDP, for

various salinities at Inperial Dam. It should be enphasized that Table 2

provides a ''ballpark'' representation of the differentials and interactions

between the various flows. Due to the dynamic nature of the system, with

constantly changing salinities and flows, actual conditions would be

sanewhat different than that shown in Table 2.
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