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Mona staff briefs council on planned 4-acre-foot water transfer for Goshen Highway lots
Summary
At a Mona City Council work session Aug. 12, staff described a planned transfer of 4 acre-feet of well water from property owner Duran Kaye to Ed Newton; Newton would convert that water into culinary credits for new home lots while providing tunnel water to Kaye in exchange.
At a Mona City Council work session on Aug. 12, 2025, a city staff member said property owner Duran Kaye plans to transfer 4 acre-feet of water from a well to Ed Newton so Newton can convert the water into culinary credits for new home lots along Goshen Highway.
The staff member said Kaye previously transferred 19 acre-feet into a city well in about 2022 and is now arranging a trade: Newton would receive 4 acre-feet in the well, and Newton would give Kaye tunnel water that Kaye would transfer to his on-site well. "Duran Kaye has got 19, acre feet in the well that he's transferred back in about '22," the staff member said. "So he's just gonna give us that 4 acre feet. He'll get 8 plus culinary credits." The staff member added that the group was still using 0.5 acre-feet per culinary credit for planning rather than 0.45, producing a modest extra credit.
City staff framed the exchange as an administrative water-right transfer rather than formal council action. Council members asked whether the 4 acre-feet would come to the city in exchange for culinary credits and whether the right had been deeded; staff said the 4 acre-feet currently sits in the well and that an application and notification process is required. The staff member said if the water had already been deeded to the city, the owner could not have completed the transfer.
Staff described the local land context: Kaye owns about 30 acres he intends to divide into lots for family members, and adjacent property owner Brandon Graham has been using a longtime well on neighboring land. The staff member said Kaye intends to split the 4 acre-feet into eight half-acre-foot culinary credits to serve new houses. Timing for the transfer was described as "fairly soon" pending staff follow-up: the staff member said he would call Kaye to proceed once council raised no issues.
Council discussion also noted that residents have engaged an attorney to prepare the transfer documents and that the city will need to process the application and issue required notifications. No formal motion or vote occurred during the work session.
The matter will appear on the council agenda for additional questions and is expected to proceed administratively if staff and the involved property owners complete the necessary documentation.
