Cost Effective Salinity Removal Strategies for the Upper Colorado River Basin

Presenter Information

Jongho Keum

Location

ECC 216

Event Website

http://water.usu.edu/

Start Date

4-3-2012 4:55 PM

End Date

4-3-2012 5:00 PM

Description

The Colorado River Basin is currently affected from high salinity generated from both anthropogenic causes and natural geology. The annual salt loading of the Colorado River Basin (CRB) is around 9 million tons at the Hoover Dam, and the corresponding economic damage is estimated at 383 million dollars based on 2009 salinity concentrations. Generally, the Upper CRB is a major contributor of salinity, and the Lower CRB is a major user of impaired water. Therefore, the total salinity removal target of the Colorado River is aimed at the UCRB. Fifty nine 8-digit hydrologic unit code (HUC) watersheds in the Upper CRB are considered responsible for salinity. In this research, cost effective allocation strategy of salinity is proposed by cost minimizing optimization. The objective function is formulated by using a cost function of salinity control that was derived using regression analysis of salinity control amounts and the corresponding control costs from the existing salinity control units. Salinity removal by irrigated lands is only considered in this research assuming that maximum salinity removal in the Upper CRB can be obtained by entire retirement of irrigated lands. Salinity generation after retirement can be considered as salinity from natural sources. In addition, the maximum possible salinity removal from each watershed cannot exceed the differences between the current salinity loading and the projected salinity loading when irrigated lands are retired. The SPARROW surface water quality model of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is used to estimate salinity generation. SPARROW is a basin wide, statistical, and a process-based model and it is able to calculate instream salinity contribution of each salinity source and delivery parameter. Fifty four watersheds that have irrigated lands are used in cost optimization. A simple salinity load reduction method based on relative contribution from each watershed was used for comparison with the optimized allocation. Cost effective allocation strategies provide economically competitive solutions compared to the simple weighted allocation and shows different priorities in salinity removal of watersheds. The outcome and procedure of this research can be used to determine better load reduction strategies using both cost and equity as priorities.

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Apr 3rd, 4:55 PM Apr 3rd, 5:00 PM

Cost Effective Salinity Removal Strategies for the Upper Colorado River Basin

ECC 216

The Colorado River Basin is currently affected from high salinity generated from both anthropogenic causes and natural geology. The annual salt loading of the Colorado River Basin (CRB) is around 9 million tons at the Hoover Dam, and the corresponding economic damage is estimated at 383 million dollars based on 2009 salinity concentrations. Generally, the Upper CRB is a major contributor of salinity, and the Lower CRB is a major user of impaired water. Therefore, the total salinity removal target of the Colorado River is aimed at the UCRB. Fifty nine 8-digit hydrologic unit code (HUC) watersheds in the Upper CRB are considered responsible for salinity. In this research, cost effective allocation strategy of salinity is proposed by cost minimizing optimization. The objective function is formulated by using a cost function of salinity control that was derived using regression analysis of salinity control amounts and the corresponding control costs from the existing salinity control units. Salinity removal by irrigated lands is only considered in this research assuming that maximum salinity removal in the Upper CRB can be obtained by entire retirement of irrigated lands. Salinity generation after retirement can be considered as salinity from natural sources. In addition, the maximum possible salinity removal from each watershed cannot exceed the differences between the current salinity loading and the projected salinity loading when irrigated lands are retired. The SPARROW surface water quality model of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is used to estimate salinity generation. SPARROW is a basin wide, statistical, and a process-based model and it is able to calculate instream salinity contribution of each salinity source and delivery parameter. Fifty four watersheds that have irrigated lands are used in cost optimization. A simple salinity load reduction method based on relative contribution from each watershed was used for comparison with the optimized allocation. Cost effective allocation strategies provide economically competitive solutions compared to the simple weighted allocation and shows different priorities in salinity removal of watersheds. The outcome and procedure of this research can be used to determine better load reduction strategies using both cost and equity as priorities.

https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/runoff/2012/Posters/13