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State, district and city plan new Sand Hollow aquifer study; monitoring and USGS modeling expected
Summary
Representatives said the state engineer, the water district and city petitioners will develop a scope with USGS (or UGS) to collect additional data for a safe-yield estimate; plan outline expected in months, a year to 18 months to collect data and determine next steps, and any curtailment would be years away, the state told attendees.
Leah (board member) summarized an afternoon meeting with the state engineer, Washington County Conservancy District staff and petitioning cities about a new study of the Sand Hollow aquifer.
According to the report, the state said there is currently insufficient data to estimate the aquifer's safe yield. The district, the City of St. George and the City of Hurricane (the petitioners) will work with USGS to develop a scope of additional data collection. The district will work to identify costs and funding contributions; those costs are expected to be shared primarily between the district and the participating cities, with possible state participation.
Leah said the group hopes to have an outline of the study in a couple of months and a plan within about a year to 18 months that would support safe-yield estimation. The state told meeting attendees that any regulatory curtailment of water rights would not occur for at least 10 to 15 years while studies and plans unfold.
Key data gaps include uncertain hydrology beneath the area: whether the system functions as a single connected basin from Hurricane to the river or is composed of separate sub-basins; the role of springs (including Berry Springs) and whether recharge or leakage to the river explains observed declines. The study will involve additional monitoring of springs and recovery project data to better constrain the USGS model parameters.
Leah said stakeholders at the meeting expressed willingness to allow monitoring of wells to ensure compliance. The board heard that the district and city parties will next work with USGS (or UGS) to scope the study and identify funding; the district expected to present an outline of scope in a few months.
