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Show THE SAN JUAN RECORD Wednesday, July 4, 2001 - Page 4 were right Group says water shortages wouldnt exist if price County still luxuries like expensive food? is for a normal year (and than solving a by Deborah Moeller minimal noxious elastic. Water demand is very winters and B. Delworth Gardner problem, patriotic conservafights did make up not On April 22, the Deseret tion is a formula for increasing interesting: for drinking water, precipitation is difference). demand the a necessity of life, weed battle News reported that Salt Lake civic strife. incentive to With no But demand for water-shorta- tween a noxious Fortunately, there is a better solution that doesnt rely on water districts pandering to our patriotism. It relies on a far more reliable and equitable - in this behavior: case, consumers wallets. Given the incentive, Utahns can and will conserve water The Utah voluntarily. Division of Water Resources noted in 1999, 60 percent of Utahs potable water is used exclusively for landscape irrigation, and in 1997 estimated that Utahns use 30 to 50 percent more culinary water for outside watering than is needed to maintain residents will be asked to voluntarily curtail lawnweed and a through the late What is the difference be- regular weed? Noxious weeds are generally harder to control, multiply more rapidly and can cause unlimited crop and pasture damage. Noxious weeds are declared such by the State of Utah and San Juan County, and are placed on the noxious weed list. Once a weed makes the watering spring and summer, while mandatory restrictions will be placed on many water users from North Salt Lake to North self-intere- Ogden. Water managers insist there is no present "crisis, although Salt Lake City officials were told that the capital city will receive only 60 percent of its allocation from Deer Creek it must be conlist, trolled by property owners. Reservoir, the citys single The State and County have biggest source of water - an several avenues of recourse if unprecedented reduction. noxious weeds are not taken Reservoirs throughout the care of. Wasatch Front are unusually Two very prevalent noxious low this year. What can be weeds in San Juan County are done? Ivan Flint, manager of field bindweed, commonly rethe Weber Basin Water ferred to as morning glory, and Conservancy District Btated, russian knapweed. Both of We pretty much have to rely these species can be found in on people to be almost any corner of the enough to conserve. patriotic by law, county. San Juan County has a program for chemicals used in controlling noxious weeds. This program will pay one-ha- lf the cost of the chemicals up to $150. There is a $50 minimum. For example, if a person spends $300 or more on chemicals, the county will reimburse $150. 7d participate in this program, a property owner needs to bring their chemical receipts to the USU Extension Office by September 15 and complete the necessary paperwork. The county will then cost-sha- re reimburse the appropriate amount. ge current st lifestyles and landscapes. But if Utahns can use less water, why don't they? The principal reason is that Utah, a desert where water is supposed to be scarce and valuable, has ridiculously Flint, like most managers of cheap water. Utahns eiyoy the water third-lowethe government-ru- n culinary (potable) districts in Utah, is making a water rates in the United serious error. Relying on States, and are second to Nevpatriotism to get people to ada in water use per capita. Basic economic theory conserve has sketchy success A mundane outside wartime. postulates that price commodity like water raises influences how much of a patriotic fervor in few people, commodity is demanded. and many of us may respond Demand for necessities is by taking advantage of our relatively inflexible, or inelastic, but demand for neighbors patriotism! Rather st y Counseling Services very inelastic. other water uses, such as lawn irrigation and even indoor use, is not. In a 1990 study of household water consumption in six Utah cities, a consulting firm found that for every 10 percent price price conserve, residents rationally chose to use more water to decreased by 5.74 percent. And this finding was for water use in winter, when residents were not watering their yards. In a study of 44 northern Utah communities, one of this articles authors found that demand for urban water was even more elastic: a 10 percent in the increase price corresponded with a 7.7 percent reduction in the quantity of water demanded. Since Utahns can maintain the same yards with much less water, it stands to reason that summer demand could be quite elastic, so a 10 percent price increase would decrease use by that much or their landscaping. Unless more. talk about conservation, increase, water demand Inappropriate water pricing Individual, Marriage and Family Counaellng Consultation weeds growing on your property, please contact the extension office and we will make sure that the weeds are identified, and at the same time tell you the best ways to control them. present shortage. According to Flint, last years long, dry summer caused residents to use record amounts of water, so last fall the districts reservoirs started only about 35 percent full, compared with 50 percent residents given considerable incentive to curb water use by watering more efficiently or even changing prices are changed this year, this shortfall is likely to recur, matter how patriotic some residents are. If the price is raised, all water users will no have monetary incentives to conserve. Why, then, are price increases conspicuously absent from the debate on water conservation? This logical solution is overlooked because although water is used and sold like a commodity, it is too often also viewed as a community resource to which people have entitlement. Instead people patriotism, and, worst of all, that in the next We foresee 10 years, water managers will have to raise prices especially summer water and pricing rules rates must be devised that will permit them to do so. QOSlBiKip&kli INTEREST RATES 25 years experience Friendhr Experienced LoanOffleer; PiequaWy in minutes,! - LOWEST IN YEARSI A ' Key- Refinance or mortgages Mf -Man program swejjpi Credit Problem? We nHefclH Call Vana Young n 435-678-26- 17 435-587-21- if - realty; It doesnt matter if you own a farm or a city lot, weed control is everybodys responsibility. It is estimated that crop losses due to weeds are 15 percent of the total yield on an annual basis. For more information contact the USU Extension Office. gardens. Higher prices would have likely contributed to our mandatory restrictions. Mark E. Lyman, LCSW If you have questions about sustain their lawns and TODAYI 00 mailers.:. Because, it. realty PLANNING HOME BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Help Is Just Around The Corner Flying Insect, Home & Garden, Roach, Ant & Spider Killer Aerosols 11" Your Choice $1" Mtr. Mai-i- n Rebate One man with courage makes a majority. 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