Potential effects of geothermal energy conversion on Imperial Valley ecosystems. [Seven workshop presentations]

Technical Report · Fri Dec 17 00:00:00 EST 1976

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5057388· OSTI ID:5057388

Shinn, J H ^[1]

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1. ed.

This workshop on potential effcts of geothermal energy conversion on the ecology of Imperial Valley brought together personnel of Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and many collaborators under the sponsorship of the ERDA Imperial Valley Environmental Project (IVEP). The LLL Integrated Assessment Team identified the electric power potential and its associated effluents, discharges, subsidence, water requirements, land use, and noise. The Working Groups addressed the ecological problems. Water resource management problems include forces on water use, irrigation methods and water use for crops, water production, and water allocation. Agricultural problems are the contamination of edible crops and the reclamation of soil. A strategy is discussed for predevelopment baseline data and for identification of source term tracers. Wildlife resources might be threatened by habitat destruction, powerline impacts, noise and disturbance effects, gas emissions, and secondary impacts such as population pressure. Aquatic ecosystems in both the Salton Sea and fresh waters have potential hazards of salinity and trace metal effects, as well as existing stresses; baseline and bioassay studies are discussed. Problems from air pollution resulting from geothermal resource development might occur, particularly to vegetation and pollinator insects. Conversion of injury data to predicted economic damage isneeded. Finally, Imperial Valley desert ecosystems might be threatened by destruction of habitat and the possible effects on community structure such as those resulting from brine spills.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5057388
• Report Number(s): UCRL-52196
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
IMPERIAL VALLEY
ECOSYSTEMS
AGRICULTURE
AIR POLLUTION
BASELINE ECOLOGY
CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS
ELECTRIC POWER
GROUND SUBSIDENCE
HUMAN POPULATIONS
IRRIGATION
LAND RECLAMATION
LAND USE
MANAGEMENT
METALS
NOISE POLLUTION
SALINITY
TRACE AMOUNTS
WATER REQUIREMENTS
WATER RESOURCES
CALIFORNIA
ECOLOGY
ELEMENTS
ENERGY
ENERGY SOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
POLLUTION
POPULATIONS
POWER
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
USA
Geothermal Legacy
150600* - Geothermal Energy- Environmental Aspects
510500 - Environment
Terrestrial- Site Resource & Use Studies- (-1989)
530200 - Environmental-Social Aspects of Energy Technologies- Assessment of Energy Technologies- (-1989)