WSP07577

• File Number: 8273.100
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control - Federal Agencies - Bureau of Reclamation
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 4/1/1982
• Author: DOI BOR
• Title: Salinity Update - April 1982 - A Quarterly Report on the Colorado River Water Improvement Program
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

WEST SALT CREEK - DG

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more beneficial use is developed by private
or public entities.
It has been repeatedly stressed that if and
when a more beneficial user for the brine
commits himself, then the recommended
plan would automatically become the plan
for the more beneficial use. Opportunities for
the following uses of the brine have been
"brainstormed": recreation, industry, salt
water fishery, microalgae production, coal
slurry pipeline, coal capsule pipeline, oil
shale tailings recompaction, and chemical
recovery. Despite active promotion for such
uses, no developer has come forward with
definite commitments yet.
A multidisciplinary planning team, a
professional services contractor, and the
general public are assisting the Bureau of
Reclamation in the planning study. Technical
work during Phase I of the investigations was
conducted by URS Corporation of Denver
and concluded with selection of the
recommended plan for feasibility study in
early calendar year 1982. Phase II technical
work will include preparation of feasibility
level designs and estimates and other data
collection activities which include data for an
environmental statement.
During preliminary studies, several methods
of disposing or treating the saline water were
considered which included storage ponds,
deep well injection, plugging or grouting of
the springs. desalination, industrial use,
chemical processing of the brine, and
stockpiling of solids in a dry basin.
From these general concepts, 33 appraisal-
level altematives were generated. The public
reviewed the alternatives and offered
comments and suggestions. Based on public
input and technical and economic
considerations, five candidate plans were
chosen from which the recommended plan
for feasibility study was selected.

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II BRINE RESOURCE LAKES (EVAP.)

Y COLLECTION WELL.S

. SURFACE SPRING COLLECTION

Reclamation, NASA Cooperate

Assessment of saline water use in coal
transport and multi-purpose systems is the
subject of a reimbursable agreement recently
negotiated with NASA (National Aeronautics
and Space Administration). The six-month
study will be conducted by NASA's JPL (Jet
Propulsion Laboratory) in Pasadena,
Califomia.
The agreement will provide for the
participation of the NASNJPL in the
performance of an appraisal-level systems
analysis to identify major technical/
design/operational options, issues, and
problem areas. It will also evaluate the
economic feasibility of joint venture transport
and use systems. The analysis will be used to
formulate a plan of study that will evaluate the
feasibility of saline water transport systems in
the Colorado River Basin for salinity control.

Initiation of Dirty Devil River Unit

The formal Notice of Initiation of
Investigations was issued February 1,1982,
although basic data collection began in 1973,
when a number of water measurement and
sampling stations were established.
The study is concerned primarily with
identifying the salt loading mechanisms and
possible means of controlling and reducing
the salt contribution to the Colorado River
system from the Dirty Devil River. The
Durango Projects Office will conduct the
study under current Department
instructions, policies, and guidelines.
Prospective solutions could involve plans
for selective withdrawal, collection and
disposal, irrigation water system
improvements, industrial uses of the saline
water, or possibly some desalting methods.
The scheduled date for completion of the
feasibility report is fiscal year 1987.

...;

Salinity Contractor Wins
Excellence Award

Salinity Investigation of the Glenwood-
Dotsero Springs Unit wins first prize in the
Consulting Engineers Council of Colorado
Engineering Excellence Awards of 1982.
URS Corporation was presented the award
in Category A-Research and Consulting
Engineering Services-at a ceremony on
February 23, 1982, in Denver, Colorado.
Reclamation was represented at the
ceremony by Donn Pease of Grand
Junction, Diana Lab of Salt Lake City, and
Michael Bessler of Denver.
The awards program was initiated in 1968 to
recognize those engineering achievements
demonstrating the highest degree of merit
and ingenuity, and providing a major
contribution to technical, economical, or
social advancement. URS Corporation's
entry will be considered in the national
competition.

Concluding Report Released-
LaVerkin Springs

The concluding report prepared by the
Bureau of Reclamation on the LaVerkin
Springs Unit has been released. The project
has the support of the local communities and
is environmentally feasible. It would
effectively reduce the salinity of the Colorado
River; however, at a unit cost of $1,480,000
per mg/L of salinity reduction, it is not
considered cost-effective when compared to
other potential salinity control projects in the
Colorado River Basin. Therefore, the project
is not recommended for construction at this
time.

USDA New Personnel

Gordell Brown is the new director of the
Conservation and Environmental Protection
Division of ASCS (Agricultural Stabilization
and Conservation Service). He is the
principle liaison with ASCS cost-share
program for salinity control in the Colorado
River Basin at the national level. Gordell is
originally from Utah and has recently served
as the State Executive Director for Utah
ASCS. Gordell raises hay, grain, and beef,
and therefore is familiar with farmers'
problems.