As an engineer, here's how I look at the idea of pumping water from Mississippi to the West

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JFRCalifornia said:
Of course, it looks flat as a board, but it's really a steady slow rise. Omaha is at 1,100 feet. Boulder is at 5,300. And of course, Lake Granby as you say is at 8,200.
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Granted, it is a steady uphill grade. That shouldn't scare the "big thinkers" away from this project. Have the water flow to the base of the first highest spot along the route, pump to the top of the first highest spot, build a small reservoir, and let the water flow from the reservoir to the base of the next high spot. Over and over again. The water could be stepped up the eastern Rockies the same way. Look at the Colorado RIver Aquaduct for an example. How valuable is water to us?
 
How valuable is water to us?

It should be valuable enough that we first explore methods of conserving the resource rather than finding more of it to potentially end up being wasteful with it. Work with what we have, developing more efficient methods for irrigation and limit its use across the board or raise the price. Cost increases will reduce consuption. I recall the mid 2000's during a notable dry spell being asked to curtail lawn watering to X days a week. I didn't think it was possible for yards and landscaping in my location to survive the summers. They did and as a result of conserving large amounts of water local municipalities refused to reduce their budgets in accordance to the loss of income and in subsequent years raised the price of water. A bad decision in raising pricing to a forced change in habits but the result was positive from the general public by reducing consumption. It can be done if those in the policy making positions make what will at first seem like unpopular choices. We all like our comfort zones but when pushed out of them we often adapt quickly.
 
It should be valuable enough that we first explore methods of conserving the resource rather than finding more of it to potentially end up being wasteful with it. Work with what we have, developing more efficient methods for irrigation and limit its use across the board or raise the price

The low fruit has already been picked, and Governor Newsom thinks that just mandating a reduction of 30% will do. Dont think so this time.
 
ndscott50 said:
Here is an example that highlights how much it would cost to move water that far. Douglas County in Colorado is proposing a project to move 20,000 acre feet 125 miles from the South Platte near Sterling, CO to Castle Rock, CO. The pipeline would gain around 2,000 feet in elevation. Total estimated cost is $827 million. Interesting notes: 125 miles of 36 inch pipeline that moves only 18cfs cost $245 million, Four pump stations with 250cfs capacity run $87 million. Just 12.5 miles of a larger 66 inch pipeline runs $72 million.

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There is a true irony here, in that the South Platte River where it emerges from the mountains already forms the western border of Douglas County. So the proposal here is to go a couple of hundred miles downstream and then essentially reverse part of the river flow back into Douglas County by pumping it 2000 feet back uphill. At the same time, Nebraska is exercising its legal right to build a canal within the borders of Colorado to make sure that it actually gets the water from the South Platte that it is entitled to under an interstate agreement, before entities like Douglas County take it first for more suburbs. It simply shows how desperate various jurisdictions are becoming as we hit the limit on available water supplies across the region, especially places like Douglas County that have very junior rights.
 
Colorado Expat said:
There is a true irony here, in that the South Platte River where it emerges from the mountains already forms the western border of Douglas County. So the proposal here is to go a couple of hundred miles downstream and then essentially reverse part of the river flow back into Douglas County by pumping it 2000 feet back uphill. At the same time, Nebraska is exercising its legal right to build a canal within the borders of Colorado to make sure that it actually gets the water from the South Platte that it is entitled to under an interstate agreement, before entities like Douglas County take it first for more suburbs. It simply shows how desperate various jurisdictions are becoming as we hit the limit on available water supplies across the region, especially places like Douglas County that have very junior rights.
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Agree, this proposal seems weird. I guess this allows them to use excess water (is there any excess water?) from Boulder Creek, St. Vrain and the Poudre that enters the South Platte below Douglas County. If that's the case why not try to divert it at a higher elevation and closer location at the base of the mountains. Return flows from waste water plants and irrigation I guess. Seems like this will really piss Nebraska off.
 
airford1 said:
It should be valuable enough that we first explore methods of conserving the resource rather than finding more of it to potentially end up being wasteful with it. Work with what we have, developing more efficient methods for irrigation and limit its use across the board or raise the price

The low fruit has already been picked, and Governor Newsom thinks that just mandating a reduction of 30% will do. Dont think so this time.
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How many uncovered swimming pools are there in the west? How many acres of water hungry lawns? How many places have unregulated ground water pumping? How many places don't even have water meters? How many acre feet of water is not reused or recycled in some manner?
 
flowerbug said:
How many uncovered swimming pools are there in the west? How many acres of water hungry lawns? How many places have unregulated ground water pumping? How many places don't even have water meters? How many acre feet of water is not reused or recycled in some manner?
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It’s true. I bet my pool loses more water through evaporation than what a patch of grass uses.
 
drewsxmi said:
Just to be a little bit snarky, the USBoR could show some token interest in water conservation by letting the patch of grass between the Glen Canyon Dam and the power house go brown.
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As I understand it, they keep the grass there to keep the place cooler. At least according to the tour guide at the dam when I was once there…
 
The dam was dedicated by the first lady of the USA. Afterward they planted the lawn and named it the Lady Bird Johnson lawn. How could they let it die and go brown?
 
flowerbug said:
How many uncovered swimming pools are there in the west? How many acres of water hungry lawns? How many places have unregulated ground water pumping? How many places don't even have water meters? How many acre feet of water is not reused or recycled in some manner?
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All good questions. How to find the answers?
 
Outside said:
I wonder how much mercury, selenium and uranium is on the bottom of the lake?
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Bodies in drums; '60s speedboats along with the rotting water skis; lead acid batteries; cell phones; dead mermaids; 12-inch B&W TVs; Art Greene's cigar butts; the upstream coffer dam; that spaceship from Planet of The Apes; lots of signs saying 'No Wake' etc ... Why worry about all the chemical junk?
 
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Aren't the dead mermaids taken to heaven by the unicorns? :unsure:

Mercury, tho, is a problem. In the 70s, the mercury level in stripers was much lower, so we hear. I'd assume that's from upstream runoff, but if someone knows better, please post...and also does the mercury and other nasties % go up as the lake level drops? :unsure:

(P.S. Loved the sunken 'no wake' signs....hehehe)
 
mercury contamination is a combination issue. you have pollution (primarily from old landfills, old mining and fallout from burning coal) and runoff being parts of the equation and then the natural levels of mercury in an area and how both of these end up combining with organic matter which change the type of mercury compounds and some are more icky than others.

a very simplified version.
 
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