Joint agency drought survey finds broad support for a common staged response; parks and golf courses remain contentious

A water district representative presented results of a joint agency drought contingency survey April 16 that shows widespread support among local elected officials and technical staff for a single, region‑wide staged water shortage plan — but also highlighted disagreements over parks, golf courses and the timing of high‑impact restrictions.

Doug, the district presenter, told council members that the survey reached about 56% of the region’s city council members and included mayors, city managers and technical advisory staff. The district outlined a four‑stage shortage framework that ranges from a voluntary Stage 1 caution to a Stage 4 emergency that would restrict outdoor watering entirely and focus supply on human health and fire protection.

Why it matters: Washington County’s primary supply is the Virgin River; the district warned that this year’s snowpack is extremely low and a mid‑term forecast anticipates streamflows possibly as low as 30% of normal. The county relies on stored water in Sand Hollow Reservoir, which the district described as the community’s key backup to Quail Creek.

Survey takeaways and debate

- Consensus for coordinated action: Respondents gave the statement “all cities in the region should implement equivalent measures during drought” an average score of 8.7 on a 0–10 scale, indicating strong preference for a common approach rather than ad hoc city‑by‑city responses.

- Stage definitions and intended actions: Stage 1 (currently in effect per the presenter’s description) asks residents to exercise caution; Stage 2 introduces regulatory measures; Stage 3 is labeled “alarm” and could affect plant treatment capacity and building permits; Stage 4 would restrict outdoor use to human health and fire protection only.

- Points of disagreement: Elected officials tended to favor earlier implementation of some measures than technical staff; respondents split on whether decorative lawns should be restricted before community parks or athletic fields, and views diverged on the speed and degree to which golf courses should be curtailed. Many respondents recommended delaying measures with large economic impacts until later stages.

- Loss, monitoring and conservation work: The district noted typical system water loss of 10–15% and said it is running a workshop for the eight communities it serves on addressing water loss. The district said Sand Hollow is the primary buffer for Quail Creek and that Sand Hollow’s liner and other construction work mean it will take several years to become fully functional.

Presentations, outreach and next steps

The district said the Advisory Agency Committee (AAC) — which includes mayors, city managers and council representatives from the eight member communities — will review the draft and forward recommendations to the district board. The district intends to develop incremental measures tied to each stage and to pursue additional public outreach, including meetings with the golf industry and workshops on water‑loss mitigation.

No formal declarations or regulatory changes were adopted at the meeting; the presentation was informational and intended to gather feedback before the AAC and the board consider final language.

Ending

Councilors and the district agreed to continue the outreach: the AAC will review the draft plan, the district will host technical workshops on water loss and staff will return with recommended stage‑by‑stage measures for local officials to consider.