Payson staff briefs council on Strawberry Valley water conversion; resolution expected for council consideration

City staff gave a detailed work-session briefing on Aug. 20 about a planned conversion of Strawberry Valley project water from its historic irrigation (agricultural) attachment to land toward municipal and industrial (M&I) uses inside the defined project area. The project team includes Payson, Spanish Fork, Springville, Mapleton irrigation districts, the Highline Canal company, the Bureau of Reclamation and Central Utah Water Conservancy District. A staff presenter told council the Bureau of Reclamation has signaled it will stop approving historic water-dedication agreements that tied water to land and that a formal conversion contract will allow water to be managed and moved within the Strawberry Valley project if landowners and other parties follow the conversion contract and the required third‑party processes. "The Bureau of Reclamation is indicating that...it's hard to justify that this is incidental use now because more and more is being used, for development purposes," the staff presenter said. The conversion agreement does not immediately move water off any farm; rather, it enables a process under which owners may convert or transfer water for development consistent with contract terms, conditions and review by canal companies and the Bureau. Staff said the conversion contract will be the subject of a planned signing event and that the council will be asked to adopt a resolution authorizing the mayor to sign implementing paperwork and delegating authority to approve individual third-party conversion requests that meet defined criteria; staff said they will return with a resolution and additional details at a future meeting. The council did not take final action at this meeting but staff asked that the council review the draft resolution and be prepared for action at the next scheduled meeting if ready.