Mount Pleasant officials outline likely watering limits, storage plan and school concerns amid dry winter

Mount Pleasant Mayor Mary Olson and local irrigation managers told a standing-room audience that the town's water system and decades-old legal limits will probably force outdoor-watering restrictions this summer and that officials are pursuing a new storage tank and stricter enforcement.

"You'll often hear it called the Cox decree," Olson said, explaining the court-issued decree limits the town's ability to store mountain runoff and is a key reason Mount Pleasant lacks longer-term reservoirs. Olson warned that with low snowpack and reduced spring flows the city may need to reduce irrigation schedules and possibly "dry up" some nonessential fields if rainfall does not come.

Why it matters: Mount Pleasant relies on a mix of spring-water sources and wells plus shares in local irrigation ponds. Officials said the city owns 948 shares out of about 2,120.56 total in one pressurized pond (roughly 44.7% city, 55.3% field users). That mix, plus the Cox decree's restrictions on impoundment, limits how much the town can hold back for later use and shapes the frequency of city-run irrigation.

Irrigation managers explained the mechanics: daily weir measurements determine the gallons-per-minute coming off the mountain; that flow is divided by total shares and converted into a gallons-per-share schedule the irrigation companies and city use to set run times. "We go up and we do a measurement daily," the water master said, describing how managers adjust schedules to match fluctuating flows.

Officials said they are likely to begin with a two-day-per-week restriction for parts of the system and to stagger runs between Twin Creek and Pleasant Creek so tanks and ponds are not simultaneously drained. The city will publish a detailed watering plan and map on its website showing which days parks, the cemetery and school fields will be watered, Olson said.

Storage and funding: Olson said the city has applied for matching funds after receiving an earmark of $1,000,000 from Burgess Owens' office to build a roughly 500,000-gallon storage tank near a newly purchased well next to the power plant. She cautioned the project still needs matching funds and pipe upgrades because the 1980s-era pipeline may not hold the higher pressure the tank would create.

Schools and safety: Christie Stratton, principal at the high school, said the district is a "large water user" and stressed field safety and liability concerns if playing surfaces go dormant. "We're all in this together," Stratton said, describing steps the district is taking to prioritize the football, soccer and practice fields and to pursue grants for low-water conversions where feasible. Coach Dave Peck urged considering artificial turf as a longer-term water-saving and safety option and said the district has some initial funding for stadium improvements but would need far more for a full turf conversion.

Enforcement: Twin Creek representatives said boards are tightening rules and will penalize obvious waste (for example, overflowing stock tanks), including loss of turns and fines. The city said residents should call city hall or the on-call water official to report suspected overuse; staff may take time-stamped photos and forward complaints to police if necessary.

Long-term limits: Speakers repeatedly returned to legal and economic constraints. Multiple participants noted that changing the Cox decree would be extremely difficult and expensive, and that some potential reservoir projects have been judged not economical for irrigated agriculture. Some residents warned growth and new development could further strain supplies; Olson said impact fees can be used only for new capital projects (new wells, tanks or pipelines), not for maintenance.

Next steps: The city will post a watering plan and maps online and on social channels, finalize details for likely two-day restrictions, continue engineering studies of wells and aquifers, and pursue the storage-tank project if matching funding is secured. No formal vote or ordinance was taken at the meeting.