Climate change and the Panama Canal

[James Curry]

Every time a ship goes through the locks, 55m gallons (250m litres) of fresh water is used, then released into the sea. On average, 37 ships go through the locks every day, using more than 2bn gallons (9bn litres) of fresh water.

The Canal athourity are looking at ways to try and safe more rain water in the wetter months. Apparently in 2019 which was also a dry year they had to put draft restrictions in place to cut down on the amount of water used and wasted eventually to operate the locks.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-lat...e3-ShD7bhjFC7U

[Doc Vernon]

Why cant they somehow try and Pump Sea Water from the Ocean, it surely in this day and age not inpossible! There are many such Projects around with very long lines of massive Piping and Enormous Pumps!

This would solve using all the needed Fresh Water!
Just an idea!!
Cheers

[j.sabourn]

Or just pump it back where it came from ? JS

[Yachtsman]

With the new locks, Cocoli on the Pacific side and Agua Clara on the Atlantic, the water is pumped into storage ponds so the overall loss is minimised. These can be easily seen on Google maps.

[happy daze john in oz]

If for any reason fresh water must be used on this then why not build a desalination plant to suplly it?

[j.sabourn]

If I am reading this post correct , and going to the lock system as known. To alter water levels in the lock itself was done on the old gravitational theory in principal . Fresh water from the lake was allowed into the lock to equal the sea level outside or vice versa , it was the fresh water in the lock that was being discharged and lost to the sea that had to be recovered , there is no complicated need to build de-salinisation plants ? As long as that old crocodile that lived in the first lake didn’t take kindly to maybe getting caught in the system of being squeezed through a pipeline on trying to escape to the sea. And all the safeguards were up to the NSPCA standards ?
Cheers JS...

[Tony Taylor]

If for any reason fresh water must be used on this then why not build a desalination plant to suplly it?

simple answer - cost! expensive to build and expensive to run.

[James Curry]

We need to remember the canal is now over 100 years old. No doubt the Technology for operating the old locking system will not have altered that much.

[happy daze john in oz]

Only difference now you do not need to collect old bread to feed the Donkeys.

[J Gowers]

Not donkeys everyone knows its mules.

https://www.panamarailroad.org/loco.html