Escalante Valley Water Users Assn.&

The Ground Water Management PlanOctober 4, 2012

Escalante Valley Water Users Assn. Who is the (EVW)

• Formed by the irrigation water users in the EV

• Governed by a 9 member Board of Directors

• Annual meetings have been held since 2004

• Many, Many meetings with State Engineer.

• Web Page created to keep the public informed– http://evwua.org

Escalante Valley Water Users Assn. Activity History

– 2003 -Collected assessments from water users.– 2004 -Retained Dee Hansen to lobby the legislature– 2005 - Debated with the legislative task force – 2006 - Provided valuable input to ground water law – 2007 - Tracked the State Engineers Activities – 2008 - Negotiating with the State Engineer– 2009 - Lobby local legislators – funding moratorium– 2010 - Develop relations with new State Engineer– 2011 - Negotiate the frame work for new plan– 2012 - Provide input into the final plan

Ground Water Management History

• 2006 - The legislature passed the “Safe Yield” law • 2007- The State Engineer began the process in Beryl

• 2009 - Legislature passed a Moratorium on funding • 2009 - New State Engineer was hired - Kent Jones

• 2010 - The legislature passed the Local District law

• 2011 - The State Engineer engaged the water users

• 2012 - The St Engineer incorporated water user ideas

Acr

e Fe

et

2010 2050 2070 2090 2110 2130

Calendar Year

Proposed Ground Water Management Plan

Adaptive Management Review Period

Conservation & cropping will be allowed to meet the reductions

Escalante Valley Average Ground Water Decline

0100200300400500600700800900

1,000

1955

1975

1995

2015

2035

2055

2075

2095

2115

2135

2155

2175

Feet

Historical Future

Estimated water table levels from Dee Hansen study

Water Right Reduction Options

• Default- Priority Date Governed by St Engineer• Voluntary Pooling by Water Users

• Creation of a Water District

Default Process – Priority Date

• The State Engineer absent a voluntary arrangement by law must cut by priority date.

• Projected cuts are on the State website– http://waterrights.utah.gov– Copies are in the back of the room

Voluntary Arrangement

• Pooling of water rights to collectively achieve the necessary water use reductions prorata.

• No formal organization- – St. Engineer administers cuts as a group

– Simple agreement signed by water users• Creating a mutual priority date

– Outside the voluntary group, the St Engineer cuts by priority date

* VOLUNTARY

Local Water District

• Inclusive of everyone – Allows for Culinary solution

• Local control – not like a “special service district”– Created voluntarily by action of those affected– Self Governance - Board representative of water users interests– Voting by water right not land ownership

• Ability to bond/borrow, enter into agreements & receive grants

• Allows for protection of water right interests - water banking

• Ability & authority to tax as needed – Low Administrative costs

Where Do We Go?

• We have a water management plan that meets the objectives of the water law statue and protects the economic interests of the water users, the local community and State. “win-win”

• Our chore is to determine the best option to achieve water use reductions