Commissioners ask about evaporation controls; GBRA says floating covers not planned
Summary
Commissioners raised evaporation and environmental questions; GBRA said it has long-term evaporation data, has considered measures seen elsewhere ("black balls") but is not planning floating covers now, and will analyze evaporation impacts as part of the engineering study.
Commissioners and attendees asked whether evaporation losses would undermine the project’s benefits and whether measures such as floating covers would be used. A participant noted an example "in California, they built a bunch of these black balls into their palm to keep evaporation" and asked whether GBRA would consider similar steps.
Charlie said GBRA has evaporation data going back years and that the team will analyze evaporation impacts in the engineering study; he added floating cover solutions had been discussed but are "not planned at this time." The presentation also noted there will be no public access to the reservoir as currently conceived and that environmental and subsurface risks (for example, leakage at creek crossings) were part of the consultant review.
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