One solution to the Salton Sea crisis: Build an underground tunnel to the Pacific Ocean
Due to the western U.S. drought and increased water use, there is a declining amount of water available in the Colorado River to maintain agriculture, enable the lithium recovery industry, or to restore the Salton Sea. The Coachella Valley Water District’s board of directors has recently voted to cut back on groundwater replenishment, the sole source of city water, according to a recent Desert Sun story.
According to climatologist Roy Spencer, PhD, since the year 2000, increasing water usage with a contribution from the ongoing Pacific La Niña have resulted in a continuing decrease in the water levels at Lake Mead.
Based on the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation projections, Lake Mead could be approaching dead pool by August 2027.
Importation of water from a new source is needed to maintain the valuable agriculture in the area, enable the lithium industry and restore the Salton Sea to its previous recreational status.
The UC Santa Cruz-contracted Independent Review Panel has submitted their final report to the Salton Sea Management Program Office. Their findings (abbreviated) follow:
1. The Pacific Ocean source is not currently feasible due the anticipated Coastal Commission permit denial for the Pacific inlet station.
2. The Sea of Cortez source is not feasible due to the multi-year environmental and rights-of-way negotiations, together with the cost of building the necessary pumping and desalinization facilities in Mexico.
3. The Colorado River source depends on continued fallowing of nearby agricultural land.
That said, the Pacific Ocean, 70 air miles distant is the only feasible source of new water: Via underground tunnel. No pumping required. The only roadblock: Coastal Commission permitting.
It can be done! Per Elon Musk’s “The Boring Company” website, a 12-foot diameter concrete-lined tunnel can be drilled at about 1 mile/week, yielding 70 weeks to acquire the tunnel. Because it is sub-surface there are few environmental concerns along the pathway. The inlet and outlet/power facilities at Salton Sea (200+ ft drop feeding turbines) can be built in parallel.
Fortunately, the excellent evaluation by the UC Santa Cruz Independent Review Panel of the Sea of Cortez Importation concept has provided the cost and schedule building blocks that can be tailored directly to the Pacific Importation concept definition.
Resources are available. Approved legislation this fiscal year for dealing with the western U.S. drought included desalinization, water storage and new water sources. U.S. Rep. Raul Ruiz shepherded additional funding for Salton Sea environmental remediation. There may be federal funds available to expedite the lithium industry as a national security item.
In conclusion, where do we want to find ourselves standing a year from now, with a continuing drought? Will we have acted using the declared drought emergency to rapidly permit and award contracts for the needed infrastructure design to import Pacific water? Will our governor have authorized go-ahead, and encouraged rapid permitting by the Coastal Commission?
Or, through inaction will we continue to fallow agricultural land while denying bountiful Pacific water to a new lithium industry, thirsty cities and an environmentally troubled Salton Sea.
This is truly a national security concern on many levels.
John Treichler is a retired aerospace engineer based in Banning. His email is jrtreichler@earthlink.net
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Salton Sea idea: Build an underground tunnel to the Pacific Ocean
