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Town hears Spanish Fork Canyon water project briefing as statewide drought raises concern
Summary
Rocky Ridge officials were briefed on a Central Utah Project proposal to replace open canals in Spanish Fork Canyon with buried pipelines and on a proposed statewide water funding program; staff warned of severe drought conditions and low local flows affecting town wells.
Mayor Ronald Allred presided over the June 17 meeting where town staff briefed the Rocky Ridge Town Council on a proposed Central Utah Project water-conservation plan for Spanish Fork Canyon and on statewide drought conditions.
Town staff said the Spanish Fork Canyon project would replace portions of open canal systems with buried pipelines to reduce evaporation and update aging infrastructure. Staff announced public information meetings on June 24 at Payson City Hall and June 25 at Juab High School, both 6–8 p.m., and said project representatives have been conducting outreach with affected communities. Council members urged residents to attend and asked staff to monitor how retained conserved water might be allocated; staff said some proposals allow the project to keep a portion of conserved water as compensation for infrastructure work.
Staff also summarized a proposed statewide water funding program that would collect a small usage-based fee through Juab County and place funds into a centralized financing pool for loans and project assistance. The town would not directly pay the fee; the program has faced significant opposition statewide and has been revised and delayed, staff said.
On local supply, staff warned that statewide drought conditions are acute: Utah’s June 9, 2026, statewide drought declaration followed an unusually warm winter and the lowest snowpack since 1930. Staff reported that all counties are in drought, 22 counties are in extreme drought, reservoir storage levels have fallen substantially, and state agencies have activated drought response measures that could lead to additional municipal conservation requirements.
Locally, staff reported unusually low flows from Wash Canyon and asked the council to expect ongoing monitoring reports on aquifer levels and well performance. Separately, staff provided a construction update for the Well No. 1 well house project, noting concrete wall pours were scheduled and that additional billing documentation will be submitted as work progresses.
The council took no formal vote on policy or funding at the meeting; staff will return with outreach results, additional information on the funding program, and further local water monitoring data.
