Predicting impacts from water conservation and energy development on the Salton Sea, California

Journal Article · Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1985 · Water Resour. Bull.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-1688.1985.tb05371.x· OSTI ID:5188535

Kratzer, C R; Dritschilo, W; Hannah, L J; Broutman, M A

An input-output model was developed to predict changes in Salton Sea salinity and water level until the year 2000 due to proposed water conservation efforts and geothermal and solar pond energy developments. The model SALINP provided good agreement with the observed salinities for 1960-80. While SALINP was not overly sensitive to one-year changes in any of the major inputs, a change in the historical means of the Imperial Valley runoff and evaporative loss inputs produced a significant effect on future predictions. The proposed water conservation measures caused the predicted Salton Sea salinity for 2000 to greatly exceed 40,000 ppm, the level at which adverse effects to wildlife are believed to occur. The possible geothermal development also produced predicted salinities considerably above 40,000 ppm. The salinity predictions for solar ponds by themselves and in conjunction with geothermal development were below 45,000 ppm for 2000. The solar pond and geothermal combination also resulted in a predicted lowering of the natural water level by 5 to 7 feet by 2000.

• Research Organization: Univ. of California, Los Angeles
• OSTI ID: 5188535
• Journal Information: Water Resour. Bull.; (United States), Journal Name: Water Resour. Bull.; (United States) Vol. 21:4; ISSN WARBA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140400 -- Solar Energy-- Environmental Aspects
15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
150600* -- Geothermal Energy-- Environmental Aspects
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290400 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Energy Resources
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320301 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Industrial & Agricultural Processes-- Energy Sources
CALIFORNIA
ENERGY SOURCE DEVELOPMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
EQUIPMENT
FEDERAL REGION IX
GEOTHERMAL FIELDS
LAKES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NORTH AMERICA
PONDS
RESOURCE CONSERVATION
SALINITY
SALTON SEA
SALTON SEA GEOTHERMAL FIELD
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR PONDS
SURFACE WATERS
USA
WATER QUALITY