Great lakes diversions preliminary assessment of economic impacts

As water shortages occur in portions of the High Plains area of western United States, it is anticipated that interest will grow in the possibilities of diverting Great Lakes water. Present Great Lakes diversions are reviewed and their impact on mean lake levels are presented. For the purpose of this paper, three potential diversion routes to provide make-up water for water diverted to the High Plains-Ogallala Aquifer region are evaluated. The economic effect of these potential diversions on Great Lakes water users and preliminary estimates of conveyance system costs are presented as an example of project magnitude, in this preliminary evaluation the legal problems and environmental impacts have not been included which would add to the project cost.