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Show T MtM I UINTAH BASIN STANDARD. June 11.2002- - Page City to bring new well on line, opponents become more vocal They're my neighbors. Murray said he believes the judicial system will be fair, and trusts it to resolve the issue. Councilman Russ Cowan said he has never been to Neola to look at the alleged damages but would be very interested in taking a tour. "If they the plaintiffs could prove to me the wells are damaging their land, that would pose a whole new ethical question. Then I would want to re-vi- sit By Therena Morrill "You cant fight city hall conversion. la how the expression goes, but a group of Neola ranchers calling themselves the Durigan Action Groupar trying to do just that. The group filed a lawsuit in August 2000 to atop Roosevelt City from bringing a new culinary well on line. When the Durigan Well prqject is completed and tested sometime later this month, it will serve as an additional culinary water source for Roosevelt City officials announced last week that their current water supplies are close to becoming maxed out The Durigan Action Group failed the city from developing the Durigan Well while the lawsuit was pending, after Utah State Water Enwho is also gineer Robert Morgan named as a defendant in the lawsuit refused to issue the stop workorder in the fall of 2000. Morgan based his decision on the comments both parties made on the filing application. Additionally, the city hired an engineering firm to conduct water tests, and they found no evidence the Hayden wells were impacting the surround-ingland- s. The plaintiffs believe those tests were not impartial. Now that the new well is about to be brought on line, the Durigan Action Group is becoming more vocal and adamant about their concerns, however, their lawsuit still has a distance to go before it will be placed on the court docket fbr a hearing. The Neola ranchers who have joined in the lawsuit are opposed to the new well because they fear it will draw on the existing water table, diminishing it They say that when the water table is depleted, the ground becomes very difficult, if not impossible, to irrigate because the water sinks instead of flowing across the lay of the land. Currently, Roosevelt gets its culinary water from five wells northeast of Neola called the Hayden Wells. The new Durigan well is about three miles south ofthe Hayden wells, and is connected to Roosevelt's main water line pipeline systhrough a new two-mil-e tem recently completed. In the lawsuit, the ranchers contend that valuable farm ground has been damaged by the Hayden Wells, and they fear the Durigan Well win have the same adverse affect on additional farm land. The lawsuit claims that since Roosevelt began pumping water from the Hayden Wells in 1984, the water table around the wells has been severely depleted. There are sev-- water. Another stand oflarge cottonwood trees south of the dead ones are still alive and flourishing. The dead trees and the live trees have an irrigation canal between them and Richins and Horrocka believe that seepage from the canal is sustaining the live trees. The roots of the now dead trees received no seepage from the canal because they wereuphillfrom the canal. Regardless of whether the trees were killed because the Hayden wells depleted their source of water, or whether they died for some other reason, the lawsuit is still pending and neither the plain tiffe nor the defen- - evidence oftheir claim, saying that it does little good to irrigate them with the water table so low. filed in late 2000, but due to legal maneuvering by both parties, there is no court date set as yet. to stop f Likewise, Roosevelt also received permission from the state to convert the irrigation water rights they purchased with the Durigan property to culinary water. Roosevelt purchased the Durigan property and one existing irrigation well, with 1905 and 1974 water rights, in 1999 for $1 million. But Richina said her water rights on the land she owns south ofDurigan are 1861 rights, which are the oldest in the area. If the ground water is depleted from the new well, she fears her rights wont do her any good. She and Horrocka said it now talus 20 feet of water at the head gate to get seven feet of water downhill, on the land they believe has been dried up from the Hayden Wells. Although the city purchased some water rights with this Hayden land, only two wells were on the property at the time. Roosevelt drilled three additional wells, and now rotates the use ofall five. The plaintiffs in the lawsu it question how and if the city has the right to pump water from the three newer wells since there is more water being pumped than the original water rights allowed. Hancock said Roosevelt has acquired more water rights for the Hayden wells through the years by changing the points of diversion" of some rights they owned in and around the Roosevelt area. You can transfer water rights from one parcel of land to another if the state allows it, said Howard Horrocks, aNeola rancher Hancock. The plaintiffs fear that Roosevelt will do file same thing to obtain more water rights for the Durigan Well and the Hayden scenario will be repeated. HomcksandRidiinsuseastandof dead cottonwood trees to illustrate their point. The trees are located directly south of Verl Haalems house and the Hayden Wells. They say the trees died after the wells began pumping for Roosevelt in 1984 and the cause oftheir death is lack of ground . Rooeevelt City Council members are not saying much about the issue. Council wo man Beverty Hansen did not want to comment because of the pending lawsuit. Councilman Sterling Rees, who has served on the council for six years, said he has been up to Neola several times and has seen the area where the alleged damages are located, but declined to comment any ftirther. Councilman I eiry Murray, who was newly elected to the council last year, said he feels badly about the problem. We took a tour up there in January, and thats the only input Ive had," Murray said. I dont want to see the city go up there and hurt anyone. those issues. I think beinga good neighbor would require it. Councilman John Gardner, who is also newly elected, said he saw the areas in question, but it was in January and there was no way to distinguish if some of the land had been affected by the wells or not. While the Hayden Wells and the new Durigan Well have created a lot of controversy, there are many people living in and around Neola who eqjoy being connected to Roosevelts water line, and have no complaints about the pumping, according to Hancock. But Horrocks and Richins are adamant that the city has damaged their ground, and is getting ready to do it again. area joins USDA in celebrating homeownership month Tri-coun- ty The UJ3. Department of Agriculture designates June as National Homeownership Month. Daggett, Duchesne and Uintah counties join rural communities throughout the country by scheduling events to comcelebramemorate this month-lon- g tion. Vernal employees at the USDA Rural Development office held a coloring contest for elementary school age children in Daggett, Duchesne and Uintah Counties. The theme was, What Home Ownership Means To Me. Iam happy to share with America how Rural Development help communities strengthen their neighborhoods through homeownership. This is a great time month-longcelebrati- to highlight the benefits of homeownership," said Deputy Under Secretary fbr Rural Development Mike Neruda. In Utah so far in Fiscal Year 2002, a total of79 households have obtained direct loans of $6,325,921. An additional 190 loan guarantees totaling $20,442,763 have been issued. A total of 32 repair loans and grants totaling $175,976 have also been provided. Currently available through the Vernal Rural Development office is funding in the 604 loan program for very low income families. This is a one percent interest loan up to $20,000 for repairs and modernizing your home. Nationwide so far in Fiscal Year 2002, nearly 8,000 households have obtained direct loans to buy or build their own homes. Another 16,500 have obtained loans with RHS guarantees. More than 7,200 have benefitted from interest loanaorgrants to repair or improve their homes. In Fiscal Year 2001, more than 57,000 families received assistance of nearly $3.5 billion through these programs to obtain or improve their homes in rural America. Crop Weather for Week Ending June 2 Days suitable for field work 6, cording to the Utah Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture 19 percent very short, 36 percent short, 43 percent adequate, 2 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture 19 percent very short, 41 percent short, 40 percent adequate. Winter Wheat: headed 21 percent, 44 percent 2001, 31 percent avg; condition 10 percent very poor, 17 percent poor, 35 percent fair, 31 percent good, 7 percent excellent. Spring wheat condition 7 percent, poor, 45 percent fair, 36 percent good, 9 percent excellent Barley condition 10 percent poor, 37 percent fair, 37 percent good, 15 percent excellent Oats: planted 98 percent, 100 percent 2001, 100 percent avg; emerged 86 percent, 89 percent 2001, 85 percent avg. Corn: planted 93 percent, 98 percent 2001, 96 percent avg, emerged 74 percent, 78 percent 2001, 54 percent avg. Alfalfa hay: height 19 inches, 24 inches 2001, 21 inches avg; first cutting 30 percent, 43 percent 2001, 25 percent ac- avg. Cattle moved to summer rartgc 56 percent, 54 percent 2001, 60 percent avg; condition 1 percent wry poor, 9 percent poor, 33 percent fair, 49 per- cent good, 8 percent excellent. Sheep moved to summer range 50 percent 47 percent 2001, 53 percent avg; con- dition 1 percent very poor, 7 percent poor, 33 percent fair, 52 percent good,' 7 percent excellent. Range and Pasture condition: very poor, 31 jiercent poor, 33 percent fair, 19 percent good. Irriga-- , tion water supplies: 24 percent very, short, 38 percent sliort, 38 percent adequate. Stock water supplies: 19 percent very short, 41 percent short, 37 percent adequate, 1 percent surr? plus. Utah farmers and ranchers have been busy hurvestingalfalfa und other hay, planting corn, moving cattle and sheep to summer range, und irrigate ing crops. In the past week Utah huq experienced some wnrmer weal her j which has helped grass growth and 1st crop alfalfa dry. ; Insects were causing damage throughout the state. Beaver county reported grusshopxrs and Mormon crickets continued to consume crops( while the northern part of the state reported damage to small grains caused by cereal leaf beetles. Grass- -' in SunpeteCounly continued hopjx-r- s to be very bad. infestation levels were extremely high and they were at all stages from hutchingtothoudullbUigo.' one-perce- nt These girls arc the Duchesne County area CONTEST WINNERS winners of a coloring contest sponsored by USDA Rural Development. Pictured are Megan Collins and Alyssa Hales. Sydney Croier is also a winner, hut is not pictured. Off offers a great deal ee ererg sea 2002 who helped initiate the lawsuit, owns 1,300 acres offhrm ground near Neola. He said 300 acres of that land can no longer produce hay or pasture for his cattle, even though the same acreage was prime land prior to the time Roosevelt began using the Hayden wells for their culinary water. He fears that another 520 acres he owns will be affected by the Durigan Well in file same way. Horrocks said that before Roosevelt started gettingits culinary water from the Hqjden Wells, the water table was much higher than it is now. Years agoyou could digapost hole and hit the water table at three feet deep," said Horrocks. Now the water table is at 40 feet. Horrocks neighbor, Lorraine Richins, who lives on the Whiterocks Road, owns 550 acres and the also believes 80 to 100 acres of her form ground have dried upsince the Hayden Wells came on line. She said another 160 acres south of the Durigan Well will dry up if Roosevelt pumps water from it for a prolonged time. ' And it wont just bea few hundred acres that will be affected this time, it will be thousands, Richins said. Roosevelt City Administer Brad Hancock said he doesnt believe the Hayden Wells have harmed the water table in the area. In defense of Roosevelts pumping practices, many point to the feet that this is a severe drought year, and most ranchers are experiencing agricultural losses, not just the rancher involved in the law- suit. Rick Stewart, a Roosevelt City employee for 1 1 years, has been monitoring the Hqyden wells every other day since they came on line. He also takes measurements ofthewatortaMe depth at Verl Haslemshomei cally because Haslem sold the ground and wells to the city. Stewart believes that if the wells were to affect Water table depths, it would show up in the well measurements. According to Stewart, there baa oijy been a fluctuation of two to four feet over file past 18 years. Even in this drought year, the water depth in Haslems well is only four feet below its level in 1984, he said. Additionally, Hancock said the city has the right to use the water for city purposes. Weve got the legal right to use more water than were using, Home ownership opportunities improve for Utah Native Americans east Saet Envoy Sierra Utahs Native Americans, especially these with low incomes, will have more help preparing for home ownership thanks to an agreement signed fids week between John R. Cox, State Director USDA Rural Development, and Perry Mathews, The Enterprise Foundation Program Director for Utah and Idaho, and its affiliate Enterprise Housing Financial Services. Enterprise, a commu- nity development lending orgamza-'kethenetion, has committed to fundingavailable to bring more home ownership opportunities to Native Americans. This agreement will help Native Americans prepare for home ownership, and make an affordable housing package available to households that are below 80 percent of the Area Median Income. For households with income below 50 percent of the Ana Median Income, a loan may be baaed on an Effective Interest Rate of one percent for S3 years. The Rural Development Direct Loan Program also offers a 100 percent financing and no down payments are required. iralHousin Dave Brown, c- stated, The partnership with Enterprise, local tribes and state mortgage resources provides an affordable financial package fbr Native Americana that choose to live either on or off reservation lands. Although the agency has always had a loan program for Native Americana, the expertise and contacts that Perry Mathews has with the individual tribes will facilitate a more successful homeownership program." Other partners include, Fannie Mae, Washington Mutual, Zions Bank and the Department of Community and Economic DevelopmentOlane Walker Housing Trust Fund. Fannie Mae has been extensively involved in providing financial resources to assist the tribes in preparing households for of citizena Hancock said. The WashingucossBftilhomeownerahty. Roosevelt paid good money for it. . Hancock explained that when the ton Mutual has been an active sup-fbr Native American initiatives which on acres porter 80 the etty purchased the Hayden Wells are located, they bypledgingtobea participating lender also purchased the irrigation water and by providings grant to Enterprise Foundation to promote euocesefril rights attached to the land. Those American lending, Dave Native irrifrom converted rights were then Brownsaid. gation rights to culinary rights, using a standard conversion formula from the state that requires approximately a 25 percent forfeiture ofwater for the if DR COPY, east test Sierra Grand Am aGrand Prix Yukon Aztek Yukon Denali east taet Sonoma "Sunfire Bonneville 9 2.9 or 3.9 for Qualified buyers gm.com Rate depends on length of contract See Dealer for details ll: M0-- ! 157 S 200 E, Roosevelt Utah OR CALL 722-510- 7 ff |