3. (10 points) As water flows down the Colorado River, it is held in large reser

Question

3. (10 points) As water flows down the Colorado River, it is held in large reservoirs behind dams. A great deal of water evaporates from the river and dams, which increases the linity of the water. Also, farming along the Colorado uses irrigation for crops; of this water returns to the Colorado, but a salt concentration increase as a result of this process. Furthermore, municipal uses of water further increase salinity. We will look at the Colorado River between Lake Powell behind Glen Canyon Dam) and Lake Mead (behind Hoover Dam). By carefully using the concept of Conservation of Mass, we can keep track of the amount of in river and the amount of salt. In this way, we can calculate the salinity in the Colorado River, and see how it changes as we go downstream. COLORADO RIVER BASIN Salinity Control Forum COLOR CALI PORN ZONA

Explanation / Answer

The concerntration of salt in different water bodies may vary from one to another. for sea and ocean it may be in high concerntration and for small water bodies like lake and stream or river the concerntration may low. thus we can easily understand the fact that the salinity of water is greatly depends upon the volume of the water bodies.

Now for the case of colorodo rivers which is settled near or behind the reservior dams have the concerntration of salt which depends on the fractional amount of the minerals and mass concerntration of the ore. so now if we want to determine the actual concerntration for it then we have to know first about the flow rate of water and leakage concerntartion of salt from reservior. but by the help of analysis we have the following data-

Volume of water flow in lake=1.45*10^10 m^3

And amount of salt entering into the lake = 7.8*10^9 kg

So to find the concerntration of salt then as we know by rate of evaporation the salt left behind, in this way if suppose we eliminate the water then the amount will be the amount initially was entering to lake

Then the concerntration will be equal to the= (volume of water entering) *( amount of salt entering)

Salinity concerntration of lake is= (1.45*10^10m^3) * ( 7.8*10^9 kg)

=11.31*10^19 m^3 kg

= 1.13*10^12 mg/l

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