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Dig a canal system that runs from Sandiego CA to Phoenix AZ. All pumps will be either solar or wind powered.
The canal will be comprised of three parts. One side will have salt water in it. The center will be concrete tubes which salt water will be pumped into. The concrete tubes are then heated
by the sun to the point where the water boils. At the top of the tubes will be condensation coils. Those coils will drip fresh water into the third part of the canal. The concrete tubes are routinely flushed to prevent salt build up. So what starts as a bunch of little drops out in the middle of the california desert turns into a large amount of fresh water by the time it gets to Phoenix. The third part of the canal could be covered to prevent mass evaporation.
This of course would be massive undertaking and would surely be a boost to local economies. It would also ease the burden being placed on the colorado river.
A similar thought could be to build a series of these canals farther north and have them empty into the colorado river itself.
As for the cost. I think the demand is so great as well as the large amount of money that forces a constant supply of water to the SouthWest.
See discussion here
The_20Australian_20sea
We've already worked out that sea water salt loads will pretty much kill any of these reverse desertification ideas. [ConsulFlaminicus, Oct 10 2005]
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Well, in the past we have sent trucks of garbage to Arizona, and had the trucks return full of sand for our San Diego beaches, so I guess this sounds no madder. |
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Yeah we have lots of room for trash out here. |
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The Martian waterways dried up 500 million years ago. Not necessarily a good model to follow. |
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/The concrete tubes are then heated by the sun to the point where the water boils./- That is some hot sun! |
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OK use some common sense. The tubes would have light focused on them by mirrors and lenses. |
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I think you mean "them there mirrors and lenses." |
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Pa've, Ricky Nelson died in a plane crash. Glen is still alive and golfing in Phoenix. |
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The system would be continually flushed so as to not allow salt build up. |
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But if it's continually flushed how does it boil? And which direction is it being flushed? Is there a Tidy Bowl man involved? And what about Tucson? So many questions... |
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And since you have already talked about the mirrors I want to know where the smoke is. |
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UB, I think you need to apologize to Jimmy Webb more than Glen Campbell, but nice lyrics anyway. |
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Whats the question again? How does this idea disobey the laws of thermodynamics? After all the water has been boiled off, only salt would remain, sea water would then be used to flush the tube of this excess salt, this super concentrated brine would then be gathered in pools which would be placed along the length of the canal. |
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A straight line from San Diego to Phoenix goes directly through a national park. I'm not sure how much enviromentalists would be liking it. |
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I think the link could have been titled "Sea discussion, here." Congratulations on putting a period in your idea name, however; few have the boldness to do so. |
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As for cost, it would seem more efficient and logical to build a large pipeline, decontaminating at the beginning. But I'm just making a wild speculation. |
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