| OCR Text |
Show PART IX PRESENT WATER USE Present Uses (1965) A brief description of present (1965) water uses follows. More detailed coverage on depletions is presented in appropriate appendices for each item. Municipal and Industrial Basic municipal, rural household, and industrial use by the 366,000 people in the hydrologic region was 25,100 acre-feet (64 gpcd)o Evaporation from 30 municipal reservoirs was 2,300 acre-feet. Electric Power The 1965 water depletion by steam-electric generation plants was 23,200 acre-feet. This water was consumed primarily at 13 utility plants and several industrial plants which have a total capacity of about 1.3 million kilowatts. Principal use was for condenser cooling purposes. Water is consumed by once-through systems as well as by cooling-tower, and cooling-pond systems. The losses are due princi- pally to induced evaporation as the temperatures of the heated effluent reaches equilibrium with ambient temperatures. Water is used for hydro-power but is not depleted by its use. Minerals Mineral industry water use in 1965 was 33,700 acre-feet. Estimates were computed primarily from the Bureau of Mines' 1962 water canvass and 1962-66 statistics. Depletions represent 39 percent of diversions for mineral industry activities. Augmented Fish and Wildlife The combined consumptive use total was 11,700 acre-feet, with 6,700 acre-feet for fish facilities, and 5,000 acre-feet for wildlife facilities. Evaporation from water areas was computed only on those facilities constructed and utilized primarily or specifically for fish and wildlife. Installations and facilities having water use numbered 104 for wildlife and 111 for fish. Recreation The amount of water consumed for recreation was not of major significance. Most was used at associated service facilities. The computed use is 7.70 gallons per recreation day for 56 million recre- ation days in the region, or 1,300 acre-feet. No reservoir has recreation as a dominant purpose, excluding fishing and wildlife facilities discussed in the preceding section. 41 |
