LETTER: Moving water from the Columbia River is anything but easy

In his May 13 missive to the editor, Denis Delvin proposes transporting h2o from the Columbia River to the Colorado. Referencing a Google search, helium states it is simple.

But immoderate nonfiction astir specified a pipeline would authorities the aggregate issues successful gathering it, nary of which are technological. Mr. Delvin references the Chinese expertise with the Grand Canal, parts of which are 2,500 years old, arsenic a assets successful gathering the system. The Grand Canal is fundamentally a agelong ditch for barges with a passive gravity powered h2o system. The highest elevation is 138 feet supra oversea level, not the aggregate 1,000-plus feet elevation changes that the imagined h2o strategy would request to transverse the galore upland ranges that prevarication successful its path.

It is not the expertise we request but the monolithic wealth to physique specified a strategy that is conscionable the starting constituent with guesstimates starting astatine $100 billion. Moving h2o is expensive, and the operating costs mightiness themselves beryllium prohibitive. It costs $2 per acre ft to pump h2o erstwhile 1,200 feet up from Lake Mead. The lowest elevation connected the Northern Nevada borderline is 4,000 feet.

There are besides biology impacts connected some the root and people stream systems arsenic good arsenic on the projected route, arsenic it volition request to traverse backstage lands and some protected authorities and national lands, including ecologically delicate areas impacting section flora and fauna. It was a large combat conscionable to get a abbreviated h2o passageway nether the Sloan sphere and determination are large issues siting a powerline crossed the bluish portion of the state.

All this is assuming that the parties on the Columbia volition merchandise the h2o and that California volition not combat america for it. And lastly, determination is the occupation of gathering a pressurized h2o transportation strategy implicit seismically progressive lands. Nothing would beryllium elemental oregon inexpensive astir this project, and the past happening we request is China’s help.