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When is Water Not Wet?

Explore the complexities of water rights quantification, distribution duties, and conservation practices in the context of evolving water laws and policies. Join Jared Manning, Assistant State Engineer, as he delves into the historical development of surface and underground water sources, the relevance of flow rates today, and the impact of distribution accounting models on water management. Learn how distribution duties are applied, the concept of "carrier water," and strategies to reduce inefficiencies through canal lining and storage ponds. Discover how surface-to-underground actions can benefit flow quantification in water rights applications.

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When is Water Not Wet?

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  1. When is Water Not Wet? Water Law and Policy Seminar March 19, 2018 Jared Manning, P.E. Assistant State Engineer

  2. Water Rights Quantification (“Currency” Units) • Early Days – Development of surface sources • Irrigated Land (acres) • Flow Rate (cfs) • Today – Development of wells • Irrigated Land (acres), Livestock (elu), Domestic (edu) • Diversion Volume (acre-feet) • Depletion Volume (acre-feet) • Is flow rate relevant in today’s world?

  3. Distribution Duty • Early decrees assigned duties for surface water based on ac/cfs • Typical decreed duty is 40-120 ac/cfs; usually close to 60 ac/cfs • 1 cfs = 2 ac-ft/day • (2 ac-ft/day * 30 days) / 60 ac = 1 ac-ft/ac/mo • 7 mo * 1 ac-ft/ac/mo = 7 ac-ft/ac • Duties today are mostly 3-5 ac-ft/ac • How is duty currently applied in distribution?

  4. Distribution Duty • Distribution is done by flow rate, not volume • Exception #1: Duchesne/Strawberry Rivers • Exception #2: Potentially Utah Lake • Normal irrigation season usually 5-6 months • Most primary rights reduced in the summer • Actual volume diverted about 2-5 ac-ft/ac

  5. “Carrier Water” • Definition: water diverted at the head of the canal that does not get applied to the land; or system inefficiencies • Examples • Losses from seepage and evaporation • Flow-through water past the last turnout • Periodic Overflow • Reducing inefficiencies • Canal lining, piping • Storage ponds • Turns schedule • Automation

  6. Surface to Underground Actions Where Flow Quantification is Beneficial • Deeds • Segregations • Share statements • Change applications

  7. So...When is Water Not Wet? • When water rights actions fail to adequately address distribution consequences

  8. Distribution Accounting Models https://waterrights.utah.gov/wcat/ListModels.asp

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