Making The River Work for All

The Northwest states can lay claim to the Columbia River based on first in use, first in right, only if they sell it. Northwest states will then forever control the Columbia River watershed. By forming a trust of water-exporting states, they can sell a small portion of unneeded Columbia River water to the Southwest states, netting $2 billion a year.

Western Water Project (WWP) proposes installing six 8-foot diameter undersea pipes carrying 10 million acre-feet (MAF) of discharged fresh water annually: two pipes to deliver 3 MAF to San Joaquin valley, four pipes to deliver 3 MAF to Imperial Valley and 4 MAF to Phoenix.

The proposed Columbia River pipeline is approximately 1,600 miles long. Approximately 500 miles are over land, while 1,100 miles are ten miles offshore, about 160 feet deep on the continental shelf. The undersea portion of the pipeline is buoyant, so it will float approximately 10-20 feet above the seabed, tethered to ballast blocks resting on the seabed. This will create an artificial reef for sea life.

Desalination plants along the coastline can provide fresh water, but the Southwest would need dozens of them to satisfy its current needs. Desalination infrastructure costs are over $500 billion, plus annual operating expenses of hundreds of billions of dollars. Desalination plants consume a tremendous amount of energy while introducing visual and environmental pollution to the region.