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Show I " - ; ' i ' i I I i i.i . its "J:L . I . ' , - f 1 ' ' " " 1 A ' . ' 1 - . ....... '--':"'';- ' '" V r - ' . , BANKER BILL GIBSON explains his role as vice chairman of the Utah State Board of Water Resources. Bank vice president serves double role Most people recognize Bill M. Gibson as the vice president of First Security Bank in Vernal, but few know his role as vice chairman of the Utah State Board of Water Resources. Gibson was appointed by Gov. Scott M. Matheson in 1977 to represent Daggett, Dag-gett, Duchesne and Uintah Counties in the Green River District of the eight-member eight-member bipartisan board. When talking about water matters, he promptly points out, "The Green River District probably has more State bonding bon-ding money allocated to its projects than any other district in Utah, with the ' possible exception of the Kolob Project near Cedar City." He insists that the allocations are not a result of his interests or partisan politics either, but because people in the Uintah Basin are vitally involved in their water needs. Projects getting or being considered for state bonding funds include the Ouray Park Dam and proposed White River Dam and Hydro-electric Project i in Daggett County, smd She Rooseyolt: , Dam and Brown's Draw Dam in Duchesne County. The Ouray Park Project Pro-ject is under construction, the Brown's Draw Dam for the Moon Lake Irrigation Irriga-tion Co. is nearly finished. The Long Park Project, associated with the - Sheep Creek Irrigation Co., is built, the White River Dam is still being designed, design-ed, and the River District adds up to about $39 million in water development projects; about $25 million of that figure is tagged to the proposed White River Dam. In addition, there are a number of culinary water system improvement projects authorized or built through the State's Cities Water Loan Fund, such as the Maeser Water Improvement District, Lapoint-Tridell, Roosevelt City, Ci-ty, and the town of Manila. "In fact," Gibson says, "Vernal City is about the only city in the district without a project going." While other states may conserve water by using less, Utah takes and almost independent position that conservation con-servation in this state means saving spring runoff water and dispensing it wisely to multiple users throughout the year. Through the expertise of the Division Divi-sion of Water Resources, and the Board of Water Resources, Utah is developing its rural water supplies by building dams and other diversions for combined combin-ed agriculture, industrial and municipal users. Agriculture still get the biggest share of the result, but the competition for water increasing, it may mean that agriculture may yield some of its commanding share to industry. in-dustry. Inasmuch as Utah is the second-driest second-driest state, with 13 inches of average rainfall in a year, it can't afford to let its water trickle away. The Board of Water Resources administers ad-ministers several funds to support water development. The oldest is the Revolving Construction Fund, originally original-ly created in 1947. Through that fund the state has invested almost $35 million in 470 projects in all counties. During the past two years 34 new projects pro-jects were considered by the board for these funds. The funding process requires re-quires engineering investigations, authorizations, fund committal, contract con-tract negotiations and construction supervision. Gibson points out that while it may seem that the Uintah Basin has enough projects going, he encourages organizations organiza-tions with water needs, with the exception excep-tion of real estate developers, to make application for state help. Requests are , i'.Qnsddftried, on individual meri$,.V without regard to commitments to other districts in the state. He cautiously cautious-ly recommends that Vernal City's culinary water system might be improved. im-proved. "I'm aware of undersize transmission transmis-sion lines, and the pressure valves required re-quired for the city's system, due to the geology of the area, need updating," Gibson said. "The capacity is there, but the delivery system could be improved." im-proved." Who has the best and the worst of the water situation? Well, Gibson thinks the Ashley Valley has adequate water supplies, especially with the Red Fleet Dam coming on line. Red Fleet is the Vernal Unit of the Central Utah Project, Pro-ject, and Vernal City has subscribed to 12,000 acre-feet for municipal and industrial in-dustrial delivery. But he says the City of Roosevelt, with no water surplus, perhaps has the most serious water deficiency in the area. "That's why completion of the Roosevelt Dam Project is so important," impor-tant," Gibson said. He thinks Daggett County and the town of Manila, in particular are well provided for. "The hydroelectric feature of the Long Park Dam is critical to the Sheep Creek Irrigation Co. and its commitment commit-ment to repay the state for its water project," Gibson bluntly said. A former Vernal City Councilman and a member of the Uintah Basin Energy Council, Gibson also voices concern con-cern about the Uintah Basin contribution contribu-tion to the salinity problems of the Colorado Col-orado River. He says a lot of dissolved minerals in irrigation water can easily find a way into the Colorado River through tributaries such as the Duchesne River, Uinta River and the Green River. He pin points the Dry Gulch area near Roosevelt and the Ouray Valley as problem spots. He advocates ad-vocates sprinkler irrigation, rather than flooding methods to help control ' salinity. "The kicker in that suggestion is that it is difficult for farmers to come up with their share of the cost of such projects, pro-jects, which sometimes amounts to a million dollars or more, Gibson said. The Salinity Control Act provides some funds for sprinkler irrigation projects, pro-jects, but even though the Dry Gulch Irrigation Co., for example, wants sprinkler irrigation, "it's just too expensive," ex-pensive," Gibson said. On another water matter, Gibson doesn't think there is much potential for ground water development in the area, as far as solving its long-range water requirements for municipal and industrial in-dustrial usage. "Dam construction has to be considered con-sidered as the principle source," he said. As the Green River District's advocate ad-vocate on water matters, Gibson is pleased with the progress of water development in the Uintah Basin. "I know the entire Board of Water Resources is happy with the way things are working out here," he said. There is another of Gibson's activities ac-tivities that adds an important bit of understanding to his enchantment with the Uintah Basin. Each year, with , several companions, he takes what he calls his "water reconnaissance mission" mis-sion" which is a week-long horseback trip into the Uinta Mountains drainages. His companions have been Hugh Colton, attorney; L.Y. Siddoway, manager of the Uintah Water Conservancy Conser-vancy District; and Wit Hammond, circuit judge. |