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Show Ashley Creek C2unov vsnally peaks, vighi on vo save canals By Steven Wallis l pmi Newi d tor Like a mother hen watching her precious eggs, Lyle McKeachnie, watches wat-ches the headgates to the Highline Canal, but out of the limelight others are also working to protect the diversion. With the Ashley Upper Canal diversion below the Highline, already totally destroyed by the high runoff of Ashley Creek, the National Guard and other crews are working to protect the Highline Canal diversion. McKeachnie, a determined fighter, was retained by the Highline Canal Company Board of Directors for one purpose: "to save those headgates." "I don't need this work," McKeachnie said, "but they needed someone who is responsible and knows the creek." Wednesday morning, "I called the canal director and said, I give up. We've lost the diversion," McKeachnie said. Although the diversion on the Highline wasn't severely damaged like the Ashley Upper, it was left high and dry as Ashley Creek shifted further east onto the Roger Hacking property. According to Helen McKeachnie, men and women worked feveriously Sunday to save the diversion. "I was surprised to see how the creek had changed Thursday." "New people in the valley don't realize that the canals are the lifeline for many people," Mr. McKeachnie said. For many farmers, the Highline Canal is their only hope to get water. "If we can maintain the Highline, other canals can be fed from it," Lyle McKeachnie said. Thursday, no water was being diverted into the Highline canal as heavy equipment worked the bottom of Ashley Creek. The reason for the continual changing nature of the creek is that during runoff the water pushes cobble rocks down the middle of the creek which eventually form islands in the middle, shifting the channel. Lyle McKeachnie said he fought continually with the county to get more equipment on the creek to save the diversion, but finally had to hire a backhoe. The county took the backhoe across the creek and didn't return it when it was needed, McKeachnie charged. Uintah County Commissioner Leo Snow, who had been on the creek at the diversion for 24 hours, said that the county is spread pretty thin, "down 15 miles of the creek." "We are looking after everyones interest, in-terest, not just a few," Snow said. Since Monday, the Soil Conservation Service has been offering technical advice ad-vice and funds to save the canal diversions diver-sions on the creek. Ed Burton, SCS project manager, estimated the damages to the Ashley Upper Canal diversion at $300,000. Since Sunday no water has been diverted into the Highline but water has been in the Upper Canal from the Highline. McKeachnie said that since most farmers in the valley are cutting their hay, there isn't a big demand for water. "But give them a few weeks and they'll come up here with shotguns and get the water." Downstream on the Central Canal, the creek theatened to cut around that diversion so water was closed off Wednesday while some fill was put around the diversion. The Island Ditch isn't delivering any water as it is also a victim of the high water. "We could not keep the water from overflowing, said Ron Batty, Island Ditch Canal Company. A 15 foot cut has been made to divert the Island Ditch back into Ashley Creek. The Rock Point Canal is still operational. Peaked Don Batty, U.S. Geologic Survey, said according to their measurements Ashley Creek has peaked, but the Dry Fork is questionable. Batty's predictions are based on a decline in stream flows measured at where the creek crosses U-44. But the Dry Fork, before it converges con-verges with Ashley Creek surged during dur-ing the first of the week. The highest flow on Ashley Creek was in 1955 at 1,210 cfs during a flash flood. This year Dry Fork reached 1,325 cfs Tuesday evening. Batty said the higher measurement on Dry Fork could be caused by a change in the stream channel, but still Continued on page 2 it -I v r '--- iV -. - . - V i 'nJ - DIVERSION structure of the Ashley Upper Up-per Canal lies folded up on the bank of Ashley Creek after the creek completely undermined the structure Tuesday. j. . . : . . ' " v '" . . ' . S " " ' : . . ' .'. ' ' . ' r " s . N : t k . . - - . k v ' , j - . t - , .. s - 11 - -v- v;. "... " " s v . . . - , , . . -V. ' v . . ' , X " - - ,-. " ' " " k - " ' ' . P, ,;' " 7 ., g - , : - -' ... . ! - ' nU ..- -'.-v " ' ' ' ' ' ' . . "J -. . . . . i -." - ' -J . ' j - -. . .- . '.. ,,.. ... - ... 1 ' I; . ' :- - -, . v, ; ..v.' .' j ' . . .' . - ' " ' ' . ' . 1 . . - ' " - t : " : . -x - . . . ....... - ' ' ,."' 1 1 s . - - '1 I .. . ... . .;"w.J CREWS WORKED for several days in an attempt to save the canal diversion gates along Dry Fork Creek. The gates were finally lost Tuesday night and since then Flooding... Continued from page 1 he didn't think the creek had peaked. Electronic sensing devices on the snow pack confirm U.S. Geological measurements that Ashley Creek has peaked Batty said that measurements of Ashley Creek in Ashley Gorge fall short of the all time high in that area of 3.500 cfs. This year water from Ashley Gorge has only reached 2.5O0 cfs. Despite Ashley Creek reaching its peak, "this stream will be high for several weeks." Batty said. No serious injuries During most of the flooding last week, no serious injuries were reported, but several people were taken to the hospital and early Wednesday five men had to be rescued. workers have been simply trying to contain con-tain the creek and keep it from flooding homes. ' At the Highline Canal diversion, east of Dr. Larry Wilcken's residence, men and equipment were working to reinforce rein-force the west creek bank. Upstream debris blocked the stream and caused a channel to flow west of five men. Commissioner Neal Domgaard. who w as at Die scene, called the UinUih County Sheriff's office to dispatch a helicopter. John Gardner, Dinaland Aviation, landed a helicopter on the Island formed form-ed by the creek, and rescued tw o of the men and returned for the others. The equipment was left on the island. "It took some tricky flying to get in there," said Sheriff Arden Stewart. Flaming Gorge Wednesday Flaming Gorge reopened reopen-ed the hollow jet valves at the bottom of the dam to allow 2,000 cfs of water to escape. With additional water being released through the generator and spillway, total release is 10,050 cfs, 2'2 times the normal release. extra water w ill not close Green Kiver below the dam to rafting, but several precautions have been taken liafters are advised to park their cars in the upper parking lot and to be cautious. "It's not your normal float trip," one official said. Water supply Although Vernal City officials haven't found Die cause of the problem with the Maeser and Ashley water tanks, they are advising people to curtail cur-tail outside w atering until the problem is solved. We suspect a water leak, but lK-eau.se of the large amount of runoff, we can't locate it, said Kay Overson, City Public Works director. The leak is draining off water from the tanks, w hich feeds most of Vernal City, not allowing them to fill normally. r . n.. . ,; . .:: ;- ... -y . : - .. A . i 7 POWFRLINE DANGLES over the flood w.itcrs of Ashley Cteek The lino is the only link to the Dry f oik .ne.i ,iikI if it wt'tn severefl th.it nte.i would he without power. |