"The Qattara Depression is composed of sand dunes and salt lakes in a teardrop-shaped formation with the point of the drop facing east and the broad deep area at the south west end. The large size of the Qattara Depression and the fact that it falls to a depth of 132 m below mean sea level has led to several proposals to create a massive hydroelectric project in northern Egypt rivaling the Aswan High Dam. The proposals all call for a large channel or tunnel being excavated from the Qattara due north about 80 km to the Mediterranean Sea or to the near-by Nile River. Water would flow from the channel into a series of hydro-electric penstocks which would release the water at 90 m below sea level. Because the Qattara is in a very hot dry region with very little cloud cover the water released at the 90 m level would spread out from the release point across the basin until evaporating from solar influx. Because the depression is so deep and broad, a great deal of water would be let in to maintain the artificial salt sea at the 90 m level and as the water evaporates more sea water would be sent through the penstocks to generate more electricity." - Amit Patel from Bookmarklet

"In 1957 the American Central Intelligence Agency proposed to President Dwight Eisenhower that peace in the Middle East could be achieved by flooding the Qattara Depression. The resulting lagoon, according to the CIA, would have four benefits: (1) it would be "spectacular and peaceful," (2) it would "materially alter the climate in adjacent areas," (3) it would "provide work during construction and living areas after completion for the Palestinian Arabs," and (4) the project would get Egyptian president Gamel Abdel Nasser's "mind on other matters" because "he need[ed] some way to get off the Soviet Hook." The project was never undertaken." - Amit Patel

Wouldn't it just get saltier and saltier? - Private Sanjeev

Sure, you just block off parts of it, wait for water to evaporate, and harvest the salt. - Amit Patel

Trivial pursuit item http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki... A fictional portrayal of László Almásy and Operation Salaam is present in the Michael Ondaatje novel "The English Patient" and the film based upon it. pstp geo 12 -2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki... http://toolserver.org/~geohac... , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki... http://toolserver.org/~geohac... , - Thomas Page

I'm not sure the salt harvest rate can keep up with the salt intake rate. :) - Private Sanjeev

Sounds like Nasser just needed some Qattara Anti-depressants. - Jim Norris

Salton Sea, anyone? - Gabe