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Conservation-district vote on leasing irrigation water to Great Salt Lake set for Sept. 2; Mendon council notes potential impacts
Summary
A Wellsville-Mendon conservation district meeting on Sept. 2 will take public comment on whether the irrigation company should lease water to projects addressing Great Salt Lake conditions; the council discussed potential revenue and the risk that leasing could shorten the irrigation season.
Council member Paul reported that the Wellsville-Mendon Conservation District will take public comment at its Sept. 2 monthly meeting on whether the irrigation company should lease irrigation water to programs aimed at supporting the Great Salt Lake.
Paul said leasing irrigation water could yield significant revenue, depending on the number of acre-feet released, and that some of that revenue could be used to pay the city's share of expensive infrastructure projects such as the Hiram Dam spillway. He cautioned that leasing would likely shorten the local irrigation season (for example, moving the irrigation season end date earlier in September rather than Oct. 1) and said the city should weigh the pros and cons.
When asked about permanence, Paul said current legislative funding mechanisms for leasing are structured to be time-limited (three or five years is possible), but he said community members and officials have concerns that south-of-valley interests could seek access to reservoir capacity.
Ending: The conservation-district meeting on Sept. 2 will be open for public comment; council members encouraged stakeholders with irrigation interests to attend and said they will monitor potential fiscal implications for local users.
