IV-133 



In addition to water temperature, there are other environmental 

 requirements and problems associated with the use of estuarine 

 waters for cooling. The potential user must have access to the 

 water, and the water ideally should have a low suspended load to 

 reduce maintenance on the cooling system. A major problem is that 

 use of the brackish waters can be accompanied by large growth of 

 mollusks and other clogging organisms which can result in costly 

 maintenance and repairs. 



WATER POWER GENERATION 



Many schemes have been promulgated to harness the energy of the tides 

 for the generation of electric power. In the Passamaquoddy arm of 

 the Bay of Fundy and in some parts of Cook Inlet, Alaska, the tide 

 range is in excess of 25 feet. If the vast amount of energy involved 

 in the water movement could be harnessed, a tremendous power source 

 would become available. Unfortunately, tidal electric plants cannot 

 compete economically with the fossil-fueled or nuclear thermo-electric 

 plants. Even more important, power generation peaks would vary with 

 tide fluctuations, not consumer demands. It appears there is very 

 little potential for economic development of tidal power. 



WASTE DISPOSAL 



The concentration of population and industrial development in the 

 estuarine zone has led naturally to the use of estuarine waters for 

 removal of the waste materials of man's civilization from his immedi- 



