Great Salt Lake Recharge Pipeline
A Recharge Pipeline is being proposed to pump salt water from the Pacific Ocean into the The Great Salt Lake. The theory behind the project is that the increased water level in the lake will create more rain over the Wasatch Mountains and this will create more snowpack that will run off and recharge local reservoirs. The pipeline would be approximately 750 miles long and 75 private contractors would be responsible for 10 miles of pipeline each. In rugged areas, the contractors will be allotted 5 miles of pipeline each. A labor force of laid off Keystone Pipeline welders can be used.
This can be put in place as a fast response solution to an ongoing problem.
Arsenic-Laced Dust From Drought-Ridden Great Salt Lake a Risk as Water Level Drops. As water levels at the Great Salt Lake reach a historic low, concerns about arsenic-lake dust from the lake bed are mounting due to its potential to further disrupt the area’s ecosystem and disperse into the air people breathe. The lake is shallow, reaching a maximum depth of about 35 feet, meaning less water can quickly result in a drop in water level. As water levels fall, the exposed lakebed can release arsenic-laced dust into the air that millions of residents breathe. The Salton Sea has the same problem. Once the pipeline is in place and working, a series of pumps will spray water over several of the dry lake shore that are subject to dust problems areas to keep the dust down and also aid to cool the environment.
The increased footprint of the lakes water surface is expected to cool the local environment. Surveys are being done to see if the total footprint of the lake can be increased.
A second salt lake is being proposed and it will be south of I-80 between Wendover and Aragonite. This new lake could be 2,500 square miles in size or equal to the size of the Great Salt Lake. The sole purpose of this lake would be to aid in cooling the environment and parts of it could also be used to recreational purposed.
The sea water pumped into the northern end of the lake will be separated from the main body of water by the causeway. Over time the salinity of the water will decrease and eventually it is expected to be the same salinity as the ocean. Marine biologists are looking at the possibility of introducing ocean fish into the lake.
Desalination
Plans are in place to build a series of desalination plants near The Great Salt Lake. The brine can be pumped into the lake and it will have far less salinity than the water in the lake. There are two existing major salt manufacturing plants in the area and brine can be pumped into drying beds and be processed by the existing salt companies. The salt will be used as table salt, snow melt, in water softeners and on the public roads. This desalination plant will have no impact on the environment.
Excess brine can be pumped into settling ponds which are already in place around the Bonneville Salt Flats. After those beds are full and newly constructed beds are also full, additional brine can be pumped out onto the Salt Flats and the water can evaporate causing lake effect snow over the Wasatch Mountain Range. The snow pack will feed the drinking water supply.
The dried out brine can be used to Lithium Iron battery production for your favorite electric car manufacturer.
Once the recharge pipeline has filled the lake up to maximum capacity, the water will then be ran through the desalination plants.
Early estimates show that there is an almost unlimited capacity for disposal of brine and the plants can run for at least 100 years before other measures need to be looked at.
One option is what when the Kennecott mine has finished production, the hole can be filled with dried salt, which will take many decades to fill. Another option for the mine will be to fill it with water and create a lake.
Power
With many thousands of miles of open desert and a hot dry climate, many solar farms will be built and the power will be used to run the desalination plant and pumps along the pipelines.
