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A channel to the Salton Sea? Profitable and going to happen, says engineering firm. “… both Parties [Dems/Reps] have been ditching, openly, on it; yet, in private, competing, viciously, to own it”

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 1, 2008 at 9:59 am

I stumbled upon the last installment on a series of articles last night, and have found the other segments. The material is too much for me to go through right now, so I’m going to set these aside for the weekend, and hopefully put together a synopsis to post next week.

This should be an interesting read! For those of you who are interested, here are the links:”The Environmental Effects of the Plasma Incubator Reactor Desalination System when applied to the Sea of Cortez to the Salton Sea Desalination and shipping channel project of Southern California” - click here. This segment scopes the project. What would the channel being proposed look like?

The Channel coming out of the Sea Of Cortez will be one mile wide and over 200 feet deep. This width and depth will be maintained up to the El Centro Harbor, which will be half in the US and half in Mexico. It will be approximately two miles in diameter to allow large ocean going container ships to maneuver, to dock, and off load cargo in this area.

Interstate 8 runs through this area and access to shipping routes will be of prime importance. Along the two miles on either side of the channel on the Mexican side, which is being reserved for the development of industrial and commercial business, there is expected to me a migration of manufacturing businesses needing access to better shipping routes than can be obtained within the interior of Mexico.

Another user of the channel will be the cruise line companies who will be able to bring their ships all the way up the channel to the area around Indio and Palm Springs California where their compliment of passengers will be able to disembark and go to the Indian Casinos of this area. It is anticipated that a few cruise lines will utilize this area as a starting point for cruises into the Pacific. Interstate 10 passes through this area and container ships are anticipated to utilize the Harbor located in the Indio Area to offload cargo which will open up the area for more jobs and will relieve the pressure currently being experienced at ports along the west coast of California.

“What benefit will California derive if the Indian tribes back the channel?” - click here. This installment talks of the profit potential of increasing gaming along this channel - and seems to indicate that this channel is indeed in the works, even though publicly officials have said such a channel, or even a pipeline, is not a possibility:

Had the Las Vegas Consortium known that the Channel was real, they wouldn’t have placed the four Anti-Indian Gaming Referendums on the February 5, 2008 ballot. Instead, they would have done what the Tribes can’t do; invest heavily in the Channel. Had the Big 4 known that the Channel was real, they would have not invested their time and money elsewhere. Neither group can be blamed. How could they have known? The Channel was more than a well kept secret.

The major Political Parties have been extremely effective at spinning the Channel so that no one learned of, or rather, became convinced of, it’s reality. For two years, now, both Parties have been ditching, openly, on it; yet, in private, competing, viciously, to own it. The Republicans thought they won that battle when they got Gov. Schwarznneggar re-elected. Not too hard to do that when you find nearly 400 billion dollars you lost. How did he put it? Oh, yea; this is money the State didn’t know it had. They still haven’t revealed, to the public, where they found that money; have they? Even more astounding, the Democrats ain’t having a cow about it; are they? Did the Democrats acquiescence in defeat. Not by a long shot! It only convinced them, that much more, why it is so important for them to win this next up and coming Presidential Election. So, the race to own the Channel is still on; and, it is a hot one. After all, 40 billion a year in new government revenue, what to speak of the trillions in private profits to be made, is nothing to sneeze at.

Oooo, a conspiracy theory. I’m just flying on the seat of my pants as I scan these very long posts. Are we having fun yet? I am! The third installment, “Is there money in desalinating water for California?” - click here. This article reviews the profit potential of the channel, of which there would be many ways to generate profit, including the sale of desalinated water:

Utilizing the Plasma Incubator Reactor System, the Channel is estimated to produce as much as 300 million acre feet (maf) of desalinated fresh water, per year, from the desalination of 306 maf of seawater. Less is probable. More is possible. Never-the-less, 300 maf/yr is the figure we based our estimates upon.

For this estimate, we make eight other assumptions: (1) that, the sales of water will pay for all of the cost of infrastructure of the Channel, including all its ports, etc.; (2) that, the sales of water will pay for all the cost of desalination facilities; including all its distribution networks; (3) that, the sales of water will pay for all the cost of electric generation facilities, including all its distribution networks; (4) that, given the choice, the end consumer will pay as much, for water, as they are paying today; (5) that, the real and total, unsubsidized, cost of water, today, is, on average, approximately $3000/ac ft.; (6) that, the predominant, ongoing, cost of producing this water is the cost of electricity; (7) that, the, ongoing, cost of producing this water will be factored into the cost of producing electricity; and, (8) that, the Channel and all its associated infrastructure would have a useful life of 70 years.

That would mean a potential profit of $60.82 quadrillion from the sale of water, over its lifetime or, $868.79 trillion/yr, [(300 maf/yr x $3000/af x 70yrs - $2.19 quadrillion)/70] , from the sale of Channel water each year.

How interesting, and the Legislative Analyst Office report didn’t even mention it. More on this next week, after I have had some time to look these over.

February 1, 2008 · Filed Under Grandiose water plans, Salton Sea

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