I heard this concern many times. But with so many desalination plants already built, there must have been some environmental impact studies. I googled around and found one for the Carlsbad desalination plant in San Diego [1]. On page 66 you find this:
> Concerns over marine life are also associated with increased salinity levels and exposure to high-saline water (brine). The proposed CDP modifications have been designed through an extensive process to minimize the impacts of mortality of fish species and larvae as part of the submittal to and requirements of the RWQCB.
On page 85 you find that the average salinity prior to dilution is between 64 and 67 ppt (parts per thousand). Once it's diluted, it becomes 42 ppt and discharged in the sea. The average salinity of the sea in that region is 33.5 ppt with a natural variability of 4 ppt.
On page 150 you find out that the salinity of the discharge drops from the 42 ppt to withint 2ppt of the ambient within a circle of 200 meters radius from the discharge point. That zone is called the Brine Mixing Zone, and it has area of 15.5 acres.
I'd have to see some real math to be convinced extracting fresh water from the ocean could raise salt levels enough to destroy the Sea of Cortez ecosystems.
No no no, you don't understand. We'll remove it from the environment. So the environment will be safe -- the byproducts will be disposed of outside of the environment!
