Addendum to sources of powerplant cooling water in the desert area of Southern California: a reconnaissance study

A hydrologic reconnaissance study was made in five basins in southern California previously classified as suitable for providing sufficient ground water for cooling a 1,000-megawatt electric-power generating plant. The criteria used to evaluate the basins were (1) theoretical aquifer response to pumping, (2) alternative sources of water, and (3) chemical quality of water. The basins were ranked relative to each other for the three criteria and in overall suitability. On the basis of subjective analysis, the basins were ranked in the following order for overall suitability: (1) Calzona-Vidal Valley, (2) Middle Amargosa Valley, (3) Chuckwalla Valley, (4) Soda Lake Valley, and (5) Caves Canyon Valley. (USGS)