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Show A-4 The Park Record Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, May 12-15, 2018 In a dry year, situation is liquid Drought status is difficult to project Park City has long had plans in place for low snow years JAY HAMBURGER The Park Record TANZI PROPST/PARK RECORD The Spiro water treatment plant on Three Kings Drive is critical to the Park City waterworks infrastructure. It has the capacity of treating 3 million gallons per day. The overall system delivers water through a network of more than 130 miles of pipes. Continued from A-1 The snow is low The amount of water contained in the Park City snowpack on May 1 was well below what is typical on that date. 34 Median 1981-2010: 2017: 2018: Percent of Median on May 1 : 45% 32 30 141 A low snowpack threatens the fish There are concerns about temperatures and toxicity levels JAY HAMBURGER The Park Record The low snowfall in the winter may make it a difficult summer for people who want keep their lawns green, but the situation may be life or death for fish in area waterways. The water runoff from melting snow at the upper elevations to the streams and rivers at the lower elevations is expected to be well below average. The impacts could be dramatic on the fish population in Park City and surrounding Summit County, an activist said. Zachary Frankel, the executive director of the Utah Rivers Council, said bodies of water are projected to be shallower than after a winter of normal snowfall. If that occurs, the eventual temperature of the waterways will increase as a result of the shallower depths, he said, explaining that the oxygen levels in the water fall as the temperature increases. “One of our biggest threats to our streams across the state is sort of the cascade,” he said. The fish would attempt to find cooler water, the “preferred temperature range,” but not all of them may successfully do so, he said. Trout populations at low and middle elevations would be impacted more heavily than those at higher elevations, he said. Meanwhile, Frankel said, the amount of toxic runoff that enters the waterways will be similar to previous years, regardless of the snowpack. That means the toxicity, which is created by fertilizers from farms and other sorts of contaminants, would be more concentrated with less water to dilute the runoff, he explained. The toxicity reduces oxygen levels in the water. Frankel predicted more competition among fish for food and a higher than normal mortality rate for younger fish this summer. Frankel said the area could suffer fish die-offs. “For critters that rely upon our rivers and streams, it’s a big problem,” he said. 133 125 28 116 26 108 24 100 22 91 20 83 18 75 16 66 14 60 12 50 10 42 8 33 6 25 4 17 2 8 0 0 percent of seasonal median the immediate Park City area. Another one, at Parley’s Summit, was even worse on April 30, at just 9 percent of the 30year median. The Park City-area is toward the top of the Weber Basin watershed, draining into East Canyon Creek and then into the Weber River as it flows toward the Great Salt Lake. The snowpack in Park City is, then, critical to water flow into the rivers as well as reservoirs on the route to the Great Salt Lake. The spring runoff volume in the Park City area is projected to fall to 40 percent of normal, according to the National Weather Service. It is lucky the poor winter snows followed one year after a spectacular winter for snow. The National Weather Service hydrologist who closely follows snowpack and water numbers in the region, Brian McInerney, said the scenario as summer approaches is not as dire as some may have expected. He said the 2016-2017 winter, which delivered storm after storm, continues to influence The snow continues to slide Snow-Water Equivalent (inches) Clint McAffee and Jason Christensen are two of the people in Park City who monitor a winter’s snowfall most closely. They are not rising early to get first chair at a mountain resort. They are preparing, it seems, throughout the winter for the summer months and the warm, dry conditions that can mark the July-through-August period in the Wasatch Mountains. That is when Parkites water their lawns the most and when the threat of wildfires is typically at its most dangerous. From their offices at the Public Works Building on Iron Horse Drive, McAffee and Christensen direct what has long been considered one of the state’s most complex waterworks systems, one that must move water between elevation extremes and one that needs to ensure the drinking water meets quality standards. Other sources — the Rockport Reservoir, three wells throughout Park City and a water contract with the Jordanelle Special Service District — are not considered to be variable based on short-term weather cycles. McAffee described the system as a “very robust portfolio.” The water is delivered through a network of more than 130 miles of pipes traveling through 43 zones of pressure with 21 stations for pumping and another 50 stations designed to reduce the pressure, according to the Public Utilities Department. In late April, the waterworks system had the ability to produce nearly 19 million gallons of water per day. The figure is projected to reach a high of 19.8 million gallons daily in July, one of the months when water use is traditionally at or near an annual peak. The peak day in 2017 was July 1, the jammed Saturday before Independence Day, when approximately 14 million gallons were used “If we were nervous about a dry year, we would have failed” as water managers, McAffee said. 10 1 /1 10 5 /3 11 1 /1 11 5 /3 12 1 /1 12 5 /3 01 1 /1 01 5 /3 02 1 /1 02 5 /2 03 8 /1 03 5 /3 04 1 /1 05 5 /0 05 1 /1 05 5 /3 06 1 /1 06 5 /3 07 0 /1 07 5 /3 08 1 /1 08 5 /3 09 1 /1 5 The Park Record dent we’ll make it through this summer,” Christensen said. “What makes me nervous is watching the snow disappear from the mountain. ... The community’s commitment to water conservation makes me confident.” The Public Utilities Department reports the water use by residences has dropped sharply in the past 18 years, falling by 40 percent during that time. Much of that fall is based on Parkites’ acceptance of conservation programs coupled with redesigned pricing structures that make it more expensive the more water that is used, the officials say. And, during that time, City Hall has aggressively expanded the waterworks capabilities through new water sources and additional treatment plants. Three of the municipal water sources — Thiriot Springs, the Judge Tunnel and the Spiro Tunnel — are especially dependent on winter weather, relying on the recharging effects of melting snow as it seeps into the ground. The Judge Tunnel, though, has not been tapped as a source in five years based on concerns about the quality of the water. /0 JAY HAMBURGER They can, effectively instantaneously, gather numbers about individual water sources, learn how much water the community is using and monitor data from waterworks facilities. As the summer quickly approaches, McAffee, the public utilities director, and Christensen, the water resources manager, are preparing plans for the annual increase in water usage after a winter that delivered well below average snowfall. But the two anticipate the municipal water system will not be unduly stressed during the summer regardless of the snow totals. Nearly 70 percent of the water used during the summer is put toward sprinkling lawns or other sorts of irrigation, Park City estimates. They say Park City officials over the years have greatly improved the system, including expanding the amount of water available, and Park City residents over time have cut the amount of water they use, a response to City Hall’s aggressive conservation efforts. They also say the previous winter, the one of 2016-2017, delivered significant snow that continues to benefit the situation. “I’m nervous, but I’m confi- 10 Park City nervous but confident as summer nears Park City heads into a summer watering season after a winter with snowfall well below normal. City Hall officials have not yet declared a drought, but such a move is possible as the summer progresses. Drought declarations are based on the amount of water used in Park City as compared to the amount of water available. The available water can change throughout the summer based on factors like the melting snow and precipitation. The municipal drought ordinance outlines three stages with restrictions that become tighter as conditions worsen. The stages, as outlined by City Hall: • Stage 1, which the water manager has the power to declare. A Stage 1 drought occurs when the demand on the system tops 85 percent of the water available at that time. Under a Stage 1 drought, officials attempt to cut the demand through voluntary measures and public-awareness campaigns. City Hall during a Stage 1 drought will issue cita- tions for violations of municipal watering rules rather than warnings. • Stage 2, which is declared through a mayoral executive order. A Stage 2 drought is declared when the demand on the system rises above 90 percent of the available water at that time. Under a Stage 2 drought, officials institute mandatory restrictions on water, such as limiting watering to twice weekly and barring washing driveways and sidewalks. Car washing using water that was not recycled and installing landscaping are prohibited under a Stage 2 drought. • Stage 3, which is also declared through a mayoral executive order and occurs when the demand on the system exceeds 90 percent even after the restrictions of Stage 2. The use of water is further restricted under a Stage 3 drought, including a prohibition on outdoor watering unless doing so is required for reasons related to health and safety. City Hall prohibits filling pools as well as decorative water features under a Stage 3 drought. Park City last declared a Stage 1 drought in 2007. A Stage 1 declaration was nearly made in 2012 as well. Park City’s waterworks officials say the first week of May is too early to project whether any stage of drought will be declared this year. NRCS DATA COURTESY OF COLORADO BASIN RIVER FORECAST CENTER GRAPHIC BY PATRICK SCHULZ/PARK RECORD the water situation. Even with an expected runoff well below average, the reservoirs remain nearly full with water from the melted snow of the 2016-2017 winter, he said. They are at approximately 90 percent of ca- pacity, McInerney said. “That’s a direct result of the carryover from last year,” he said. The reservoirs were designed to ensure water from the melting snow of a heavy winter can be stored in case the next winter sees below average precipitation. “If you have a bad winter, you want it right after a good winter,” McInerney said. “It eases the pain.” JAY HAMBURGER/PARK RECORD A section of Poison Creek runs just east of Main Street as it descends from the higher elevations of the Park City area. The spring runoff is expected to fall dramatically from a typical year after meager snowfall during the winter. The runoff volume in the Park City area is projected to drop to 40 percent of normal, the National Weather Service says. Get info, scores, play-by-play updates for Park City, North and South Summit high schools. Follow here for all things sports in Summit County. |