OCR Text |
Show The Office of Business Economics and the Economic Research Service ( together known as OBERS) evaluation of existing and projected water needs ( paragraph A2) indicates that most of the water resources of the State will be fully utilized by the year 2020. Growth and development beyond that time would require augmentation from some out- of- state source of water. Since all sources of water within the State are expected to be used within 50 years, they are alternative only in the time or in the order they may be developed during that period. The various alternative sources of water and their associated environmental impacts are described in the following paragraphs. A summary of the physical, economic, and environmental aspects of these alternatives is presented later in this section ( Table H- T). a. Sources of Water Within the Bonneville Unit Area ( l) Increased Use of Groundwater Development of additional groundwater through the drilling of wells is an alternative source of water. Because of a number of existing physical, chemical, economic, and legal constraints, this source is limited. To determine the usefulness and effectiveness of an underground aquifer, the quality, quantity, and location of the available water must be determined. In addition, the characteristics of the aquifer, including depth, recharge, and hydraulic conductivity, must be determined. Large- scale groundwater developments are not feasible where the transmis- sibility is much less than 20,000 cubic feet per foot per day. The quality of groundwater also affects its value, particularly for municipal uses. Use of groundwater containing greater than 500 mg/ 1 of total dissolved solids is not recommended by the U. S. Public Health Service for household use when water of better quality is available. Groundwater investigations have been made in most major groundwater development areas of Utah by the U. S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Utah State Division of Water Resources. The Bureau of Reclamation has made additional studies in the areas of concern, where more detailed studies and greater refinement. of potential development is needed. These studies include Salt Lake County, Utah County, Juab Valley, the Sevier River area, and the Uinta Basin. Groundwater in these areas is discussed in Section B. Table H- l summarizes the findings of the groundwater investigation, giving the total estimated supplies, present usage, and the expected future yield. The table indicates that there is a potential for development in Salt Lake County, Utah County, 489 |