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Show I Moab's Mayor details need for Mill Creek Project 3; Dear Sam: 3 ; I have worked with water development in Spanish Valley since 1956. We, 3 the City, purchased the Somerville Ranch in 1959 to obtain the main springs for city water. By 1963 the springs were inadequate to furnish the city demands. 3 Meanwhile, a trade had been made with Uranium Reduction Company and ' 3 Utex Exploration to furnish sewer to Palisade Subdivision for 50 per cent of 3; Skakel Spring. We had now captured all major spring sources available except 3 the remaining 50 per cent of Skakel Spring. ; 3 The 1960-64 Council was faced with a water crisis and the Golf Association ; 3 agreed to allow the City to pump No. 4 Well to the city the majority of the time, 3 and in turn, the City would pay all pumping charges for the Golf Course 3; sprinkling system. This agreement is still in effect. It was a salvation at the 3 time it was made. 3 1 We drilled No. 4a, 5, 7 and 9 wells between 1965 and 1975, and again, just ;3 met the peak demands of the months of June, July and August. We faced 3 rationing in 1975 and 1976. 3 ; In 1976 the Council purchased 23 production from the Ron Robertson well 3 ; and the State Engineer allowed us to transfer from the Golf Course area enough 3' water to pump the newly-acquired J. W. Corbin well when needed. This well ; 3 was strong enough in production to get us through 1977. This action also 3 relieved pressure on the Golf Course wells. '; In the early 1970's the State Engineer restricted irrigation wells east of 3; Main Street. Only applications on file at that critical date were processed. The 3 Corbin Well was one of those filings. The underground water table had been ; 3 lowered annually to a critical, or crippling state. In 1976 the wells in the Gou 3 Course area would produce only about 50 per cent of normal during June, July '; and August. This period we term our "peak draw-down period." 3; In 1977 we learned that there are 2,000 per cent filings on available 3 Colorado River in Utah. Yes, had we gone to the river treatment plant some 3 3 years ago we probably would have been ahead in the game today. I doubt the 3 economics would have allowed the river system, because Moab had relied upon 3 springs and wells (a complete underground source) since "year one.' In we 3 ; 1920's, 1930's and 1940's the City water came from the Power Dam area. In the ! 1950's three or four wells, small in flow, were drilled and developed in the ; 3 Powerhouse Lane area. These produced very hard water, however. One of them ; 3 services the cemetery east of town today. 3 In the 1950's a ten-inch line was constructed to the Somerville Springs, tn 3; smullor ones by the Old City Park, to bring water to the City., The Birch, ! McConkie and Somerville No. 1 were connected to the city system. In the 19W 3 a sixtoen-inch line was constructed to the Golf Course area to bring " additional sources to town. 3 The development of water has boon a very expensive program to the O . 3; Tho well sources are not ronlly thnt dependable. They rtxijee in production 3; greatly when thoy are needed most - during Juno, July and August. ', We now turn to the only other available source to moot future domany-3 domany-3 3 the clam and distribution system. This project will impound and save I yonr-nround distribution wasted water, or wintertime runoff, that now irot,s ,' the Colorudo Rivor, and on downstrom to Nevada, Arizona, California a ; 3 Mexico. i 3 3 Eventually a filtration pMnnt will bo construction nt tho dam. This f' 3 water will .service the whole valley, and will also tke the pressure off the 3 ; sources. j 3 3 I sincerely urge all voters throughout the county to vote "YES," in tu 3' this nuich-noodod project. This is a plan that will meet a pending water c 3 head on! ; 3 Wm. Doan McDougald 3 Mayor, City of Moab 3; 1974-1977 |