Wind can have major effects on brine ponds—both good and bad. In brine ponds designed for evaporation, wind is a major contributor to the evaporation process. In some cases, operators will install sails or geomembrane to soak up brine from the pond so that wind can blow around the membranes and evaporate the water even faster.
Wind does pose some risks, however. One risk is contamination from brine spray to the surrounding environment. Highly toxic brines can do a lot of damage over time to the surrounding brines, and measures may need to be taken in order to help prevent this spray. Wind can also create waves, which can cause spills or leaks. The surface area, depth and volume of the pond will affect the wave risk. In high risk ponds, winds can cause waves to slosh out of the pond, which results in major spills—and a major, expensive cleanup job. To combat this, you’ll need to avoid overfilling brine ponds. This usually involves building the pond so that it allows for 10% to 20% extra capacity above what you will need to contain the brine. This should leave water levels low enough that waves don’t escape from the pond during high winds or storms.
