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Many consider water as a critical resource for humanity
and its associated environment. To protect this resource, I
am surrounded by water saving technologies: Low-flow
showers, flow-restrictors on taps that aerate the water so
it looks like there's more than there is & toilets that only
flush
3.6 litres*.
This is understandable in Arizona, but Philadelphia nestles
between two large rivers, there's plenty of water. Globally
also, there is plenty of water, there's no water problem,
it's a salt problem**. Now, this doesn't start as a problem,
rain is freshwater, extremely fresh in most cases. The
problem is that it often falls directly into salt water before
we can get to it.
So, how about we pick a nice calm bit of sea with a
reasonable rainfall. The equator is a good place to start
looking, as rainfall and calm are features of equatorial
ocean. The location should be near shore in relatively
shallow waters so that some anchoring is feasible. Nearby
land, especially mountains can encourage local rainfall
also. Here we construct our nice freshwater lake.
Now, freshwater is less dense than seawater so, if you can
separate it from the ocean, it floats. Let's start with a
large steel floating ring. From the bottom of this we build
a large plastic bag. Initially this could be filled with
seawater and subsequently desalinated or filled by pipe
from a land source. With a little bit of structural
reinforcement from a very flexible wire/plastic mesh we
should be able to harness the ~2% buoyancy and making a
2.5km deep lake will provide enough lift to raise the rim
50m from the sea surface.
Now you can stock it with freshwater fish, some floating
plants to keep evaporation down and you have a nice
freshwater lake that will even be able to supply water
under pressure to places right on the shoreline.
* You do have to flush them twice, the orange man is right.
** Although I'll admit there are some local variations.
The large scale version
Dam_20Hudson_20Bay
[FlyingToaster, Aug 07 2020]
The Eastpondia version
https://en.wikipedi...opean_Enclosure_Dam
touted as a solution to rising ocean sea levels for some reason. [FlyingToaster, Aug 07 2020]
Safe In the Sound
https://sodabred.tu...nzag-to-describe-an
[xenzag, Aug 08 2020]
[link]
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This would be a great idea to have for a very small island
that doesn't get enough rainfall to sustain the people there.
Get that little offshore freshwater lake going, perhaps
guarded by a breakwater and you're in business. |
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//So, how about we pick a nice calm bit of sea// |
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(+) Nice, but 'that' might be a problem. You will need some sort of sea-wall to keep salt spray from sallinating your fresh water lake. Shouldn't be too hard though. A series of buoys with an outwardly facing 'C' shaped clear plastic curtain aughta do the trick. |
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// Nearby land, especially mountains can encourage local
rainfall // |
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Dependent on prevailing wind directions, you don't want to be
in the rain shadow. |
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//Nice, but 'that' might be a problem. You will need some
sort of sea-wall to keep salt spray from sallinating your
fresh water lake.// |
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We can live with a little salt, as long as there is influx and
some outlet, then you will reach some kind of equilibrium
rather than progressive concentration. Also, freshwater
plants require ions, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+ & various
micronutrients that are found in seawater. By
supplementing fertilizers selectively you can use plant
growth to uptake seawater-derived salts. Also, it IS a wall,
if it's 20-50m above, that should prevent most
contamination. |
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//you don't want to be in the rain shadow.// |
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The opposite, in the norther hemisphere, that would be off
the west coasts. Clouds build up against mountains and rain
in front of them, we just need a nice west-facing inlet. |
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The rain shadow by definition is the side of the mountains
that
receives little or no rainfall because it's all been squeezed
out
climbing the mountains on the other side. |
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Not the side of the mountain it falls on. |
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For your purpose you don't want to be
in the rainshadow. |
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Regardless of which hemisphere you're in. |
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//We can live with a little salt, as long as there is influx and some outlet, then you will reach some kind of equilibrium rather than progressive concentration. Also, freshwater plants require ions, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+ & various micronutrients that are found in seawater. By supplementing fertilizers selectively you can use plant growth to uptake seawater-derived salts. Also, it IS a wall, if it's 20-50m above, that should prevent most contamination.// |
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That's one really large plastic bag. Origami and heavy lifting/cartage equipment will be needed in the manufacturing process. |
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[wjt]; yeah, but I think you would probably fabricate on-
site, heat-sealing (or whatever) together from rolls of
plastic. |
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I would have bunned you for the title alone. + |
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But isn't this largely baked by nature already. |
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//But isn't this largely baked by nature already.// |
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True, but it's very difficult to waterski on an iceberg. Seals get
in the way. |
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True but there's always skiing & snowboarding, & think how
much fun [8th] could have with the seals when the cats run
out. |
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^ Not nearly as much.
Only one life a piece you know. |
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I made a drawing in my notebook of the exact
same idea many years ago..... so I'm bound to
approve. I actually thought I had posted it here,
but there's no sign, so this has saved me the effort!
Ha. In my drawing the lake is shaped like a giant
child's flotation ring with a duck's head. I may post
the drawing if I can find it easily. |
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21...I spotted 21...hey how ya doing? Long time no see. |
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I'm well, Bliss. Little Bit's doing pretty good too! |
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Posted illustration....[link] took some time to find, but knew I had it somewhere. |
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