Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate narrowly approves resolution supporting Narrows Water Project after heated debate over impacts
Summary
Senate Resolution 2, urging state support for the Narrows Water Project in central Utah, passed after floor debate. Opponents warned the reservoir proposal could harm Price River irrigation users and said the Senate should not take sides; sponsor cited completed studies and recommended advancing the project.
The Utah Senate voted to pass Senate Resolution 2, a nonbinding measure expressing support for the Narrows Water Project in central Utah, after a substantive floor exchange about water allocations and local impacts.
Senator Okerlund, who presented the resolution, said SR2 "addresses the need for water development, economic development on the Narrows Water Project in Central Utah, specifically in Sanpete County and resolves to show state support to the Bureau of Reclamation and the United States Congress to ask for their help and their support" in developing water for local economic needs.
Senator Hinkins raised concerns about the project's scale and potential effects on existing irrigation users: "It's our understanding that as far as the Price River Irrigation water users that the reservoir rather when they acknowledge the 5,400 acre feet of water, but this understanding that there's going to be a 17,000 acre feet reservoir built, which would be 12,000 acre feet that has to come from somewhere and they're afraid that's going to come from the Price River water users." He said both counties involved have "legitimate interests and perspectives" and urged caution before the state throws its support behind the proposal.
Senator Romero also opposed the resolution, arguing the Senate should not be choosing sides between the competing local interests: "I just stand in opposition to this resolution... I think that the parties have been working together and deciding which is preferred is probably not the proper role for us." The sponsor responded that a study had been funded and completed and that it recommended the proposed location; he urged the Senate to move the proposal forward.
After debate, the Senate passed SR2 on a roll-call tally of 19 yea, 8 nay, 2 absent. The resolution will be signed by the President in open session. The vote record in the transcript lists the body roll call and the announced overall tally; the oral floor record did not provide an itemized mapping of each individual senator's vote in the quoted segments.
