The people's voice., 1958-09-26

The West and the world may De
on the threshold of another important
advance in conservation of its most
precious resource, water.
Much has been said, and some
things have been done, to convert
sea and brackish water so it is usable
for irrigation, industry and domestic
purposes. Clouds have been seeded
to produce rainfall, with varying re-
suits. But one of the most promising
possibilities for water conservation
has not received the publicity it de-
serves. Therefore, regrettably, it has
not received the funds and backing
necessary for further research. I'm
speaking of evaporation control, by
means of chemical agents, the most
promising of which is hexadecanol.
EVAPORATION LOSS
In the IL Western states evapora-
ton from water surfaces averages
11.5 million acre-feet year. Studies
in Illinois showed that normal evapo-
ration reduced reservoirs by three
feet. and that reduction of evapora
ton by only one third would be
equivalent to a II per cent increase
in reservoir storage. In the Colorado
River system water lost by evapora-
ton from existing reservoirs aver
ages about one fifth as much as the
consumption by irrigated crops. Evap-
oration from storage units now under
construction there will equal more
than one third of the replacement
storage that they will provide.
Eastern Montana ranchers this
year saw doubly bad effect of evap-
grafton. Not only did it reduce the
stockwater supply. Evaporation re-
moves the pure water, distills the
water in effect, leaving between the
while alkili creek or reservoir banks
a salty water supply which stock re-
fused to drink. The evaporation rate
in the Southern Great Plains has
been estimated at IA million gallons |
per acre of water surface. This loss
from a stock pond is as much water
as would be consumed in year by |
500 head of cattle. Evaporation loss
also means less kilowatts generated
by hydroelectric power. And it means
higher taxes for municipalities. The
annual loss due to evaporation is
estimated at $660,00O year at Okla
homa City, whose water is obtained
from Lake Hefner.
Furthermore, more water is lost
by evaporation than is withdrawn
from rivers and lakes by all cities
and towns. More than 80 per cent
of the water withdrawn for munich
pal and industrial uses is returned to
streams and reservoirs. But practi-
cally all water evaporating inland IS
lost irrevocably. Moisture for pre-
cipitation comes principally from the
huge ocean surface.
The fact, sometimes disputed, that ]
reser ,oir evaporation does not con- !
tribute materially to precipitation in |
adjacent areas is strikingly demon |
,trated in the Southwest. For decades I
arge reservoirs on the Colorado and I
Salt Rivers have annually dissipated
hundreds of thousands of acre-feet |
If water into the air without causing I
nucn, II any, cHdHSe III Clle al /
n the area. I
CONTROL I
Storage of water in deep canyon 9
eservoirs such as Yellowtail (Big 9
Iorn) Dam, with relatively small 6
urface areas, reduces evaporation. 9
storage is helpful in r
he Sacramento Valley of California, u
ut this method has its limitations.
Iexadecanol promises more control
han either of these methods.
WHAT 1T is AND DOES v
Hexadecanol is an industrial chem
al found in soap flakes and face :,
owder. 1t comes from tallow, sperm r.
il or coconut oil, and is relatively \,
CT aIacc and odorlacc Dr Tr-Uinp -