French firm proposes 'submarine river' to beat California drought

[KamaAina]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/04/29/california-undersea-pipeline-drought/26559457/

A French engineering and construction firm is proposing a flexible undersea pipeline to carry water from two Northern California rivers to cities farther down the coast.

Via Marina, a subsidiary of the giant multinational company Vinci, has provided a "prefeasibility" study to the California Department of Water Resources suggesting water could be drawn from the mouth of the Klamath and Eel rivers and carried south in a series of 12-foot diameter tubes anchored by ballast to the sea floor....

Via Marina is currently in negotiations in Chile to build a similar submarine river to carry water from a wet area in the south of the country along the Pacific coast to a desert area in the north....

Bogliolo contacted News10 after seeing the proposal announced last week by actor William Shatner to crowdfund a pipeline along Interstate 5 to carry water from Washington to California -- a plan that was immediately dismissed by water officials in both states.

Shatner must be using the same toupee glue that Rand Paul does!

[NV Whino]

1. The French don't understand is that NoCal won't give up the river water

[Jesus Malverde]

3. The Klamath has been the scene of many water battles.

Kinda a dumbass proposal, not unexpected from corporations.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

5. It does seem to say 'the mouth' of the river.

In which case, they're suggesting water that is going into the ocean at that point, and not being used by anyone in California. It would create major changes to the ecology of the area at the river mouth, but shouldn't affect anything on land.

[NV Whino]

6. It affects the spawning of salmon

And as you mentioned, the ecology and health of the mouth of the river.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

7. Sure, I'm not saying it wouldn't essentially destroy the biome at that point.

Just that it doesn't sound like they'd be 'stealing' water from any human usage on land.

[Jesus Malverde]

2. Thats it lets transport water in water.

[NV Whino]

4. Remember when someone wanted to transport water from Gualala in giant balloons?

Or bladders, and float it to LA.

[Jesus Malverde]

10. Missed that one

[antiquie]

8. Maybe not quite as weird as the tow plans.

The Many Failures and Few Successes of Zany Iceberg Towing Schemes
Timeline 1825-2011 below the ad.

[olddots]

9. Beldar Conehead came up with this idea