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Escalante Valley Water Users Assn. & The Ground Water Management Plan. October 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
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Escalante Valley Water Users Assn.&The Ground Water Management Plan October 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
Conservation & cropping will be allowed to meet the reductions Adaptive Management Review Period
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