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Show T O'l'.'t r,l Forget your opponents. Always play against par. 'Sam Snead 0 fl r:. .(). !l ii I kin UINTAH & UPALCO UNITS ON i TEMPORARY HOLD cites continued disputes as reason for shelving two Basin water projects DOI UBIC BOOKLET INSIDE THIS ISSUE to celebrate 75 years of tradition UBIC By Mike Bom In 1923, J.P. May headed up an known asthe Uintah Basin In Celebration (UBICMo bring together the citisena of the Uintah Bakin to share new information and celebrate the successes of industry and freedoms life afforded them. Seventy-five years later, now the summer of 1998, UBIC President Pat Stringham and many others continue the tradition in providing a way for Basin residents to celebrate life and its benefits. In an effort to pay tribute the history ofthe UBIC, the presidency and its board of directors selected the theme: 75th Year: A Return To Traeflort-preee- ntty dition. In this edition of the Standard youll And your 1998 UBIC events booklet filled with times, dates and places of each activity being held in coqjunction with the UBIC. Asia the case every year, the UBIC will spotlight local talent, provide dances, view dancers, furnish sports of several varieties, mixed with programs featuring vocal and dance performing groups from out of town starting Thursday, August 6, and continuing through the weekend August7,and8. Young and old will have plenty of opportunity to be involved in this years celebration. Swimming activities will keep bodies cod inhe August heat while children's games, softball, volleyball, basketball, unicycling, triathlon, 5Krun, golf, bowling; and archery will test the stamina of each sports participants. A pet show, pig chase and movie matinee will also be offered to entertain the youth. Of course the UBIC wouldnt be SEE UBIC on page 3 Local water agencies and the Ute Tribe must work out differences ifthe federal water storage projects are to be revived. EJVhi ting-The Department of the Interior (DOI) has announced it will discontinue its activities on the proposed 243 million Uintah Unit and Upalco Unit Replacement Projects of the Central Utah Project for an undetermined period of time. The federal agency cited "mqjor unresolved issues as their reason for deciding to shelve two reservoirs planned for Uintah and Duchesne counties. Their decision came a month after the Ute Tribe Business Committee surprised local, state and federal water planners with theannounce-men- t that they would not sanction the water projects on tribal lands aa planned, because they felt they were being cheated out of claims to stored water rights. Since that time tribal '' leaders have declined to meet with water planners. The tribe was un- available for comment. Although they withdrew their support for foe projects to be built on tribal land, tribal leaders did say they would promote their development if they were built elsewhere. Such a move is highly unlikely because the DOI and Central Utah Water Conservancy District have spent the past five years and an estimated $12 million attempting to finalize planning and environmental compliance documents for construction of the two proposed dams on tribal lands. The planningand National Environmental Policy Act processes have been very complex and there are still major unresolved issues associated with the water rights to be stored in impoundment facilities planned on the Uintah and Yellowstone rivers, DOI prqject manager, Michael Hansen stated in a letter. Because of these unresolved issues, DOI has placed their efforts on hold, pending an acceptable resolution by other parties involved. The two. units are dependant on tribal approval for continued federal support and funding. The water storage projects were promised to the Uintah Basin by both the CUP and in a 1965 deferral agreement with the Ute Tribe in return for diverting their water to the Wasatch Front. Congress has appropriated funding for the two units as part of the Central Utah Project Completion Act. The storage ofthe Ute Tribes 1861 priority water in the proposed replacement projects has been a mqjor item ofdisagreement and controversy throughout the entire planning process, said Hansen. The tribe and the UJS. Solicitor General contend their priority water right translates into a stored water right. The State Engineer disagrees, and has determined that free flowing water rights could as stored not legally be water rights. The District and the DOI recommended a compromise which would have allowed the parties to simply agree on how the projects would be operated and defer the resolution regarding the right to store 1861 priority water. Because the issue continued to be a major stumbling block among tribal leaders and local irrigation companies, formal water negotiations were terminated, said Hansen. Aftercareful consideration ofthe positions that have been taken by the State of Utah, Uintah Basin water users and the Ute Tribe, DOI has opted to discontinue its activities on both the Uintah and Upalco Replacement Projects for an undetermined period of time. The Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Uintah Unit will be completed, but will not be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency until a resolution is obtained from the other agencies involved, according to Hansen. Furthermore, the DOI will halt all action on both units until the SEE WATER PROJECTS on page 3 Serving the residents of Duchesne and Western Uintah Counties TANBARB page 14 Tuesday July 28, 1998 Roosevelt, Utah 85 th Year No. 30 20 Pages Wild foals sent away to Oklahoma research facility Uintah Basin Altamont gymasium won't be ready by start of school 50 see page 3 Utah football players speak at Union camp see page 16 UTAH NEEDS TO COME INTO COMPLIANCE Water quality will be next big issue to face agriculture While the new water quality standards pose a potential problem for ? Utahs farmers and ranchers. Ostler is confident that a combined effort to "' solve the problem will be Successful, This is a significant issue, but I ation. This regulatory initiative has think that the need to work together come about because the Clean Water is what makes this a good thing for all of us, he said. Act on ita own, basically did not genUFBF President Ken Ashby said erate the necessary action to deal with he agreed with Ostler. pollution problems, "I think it is crucial that all perhe said. "The Act did not present specific deadlines for response and so spectives ofthis important issue come to the table ready to solve the some states simply did not comply. said. Our farmers and ranch-er- a With the new TMDL standard. are extremely concerned about Ostler said that Utah will now have to dean up problem water areas in 12 water quality and want to do all they years that would have taken them 45 can to find solutions." He said a big problem for those in years following the old law. He also discussed the new standards for agriculture is limited budget. Our families dont have a lot of TMDLS. The TMDL process has toachieve money to make improvements to their Water Quality Standards, consider all operations, he said. However, there sources, be technically supported, and is some funding out there that we can show a qualified pollutant reduction make use ofand we wil encourage our alongwith public in volviement,Ogtler SEE WATER QUALITY on page 3 said. 'Were finding that agricultureaciivities are ' ' causing some ofthe problems Utah's agricultural community m ust take steps now to improve water quality or thefederal government will forcibly take the steps for them, said Don Ostler, Director ofthe Utah Division of Water Quality. Ostler, addressing a group of sev- eral hundred of Utahs farmers and ranchers at the Utah Farm Bureau Federatkm'gMidyear Conference he Id at the Western Park in Vernal, said Utah needs to make some changes to come into compliance with federal water quality regulations. Our water is certainly good, but we do need to make some changes here, Ostler said. FLASH FLOOD-- A summer rainstorm dumped several inches in the front yard of this Hancock Cove home. of water Saturday afternoon. Flood waters piled up waterways. WARNING TO VACCINATE Rabid bat infects litter of kittens in Altamont, animals destroyed tract the rabies virtu which Youngster wfwdiscovers JktumpMytngtuuh bat does just as her teacher Had told Her "arid didnt try to pick it up. point the Myrins took the mother cat is trans ferred by infected saliva. If human iteractioni does occur there is treatment available through a series of five shots administered in seven day intervals. All veterinarians in the Uintah Basin have access to the vaccine which costs approximately $10 per shot. inter-muscul- and kitten to be destroyed, because Staci said, we hadjust had her spade, and she was overdue for her rabies Staci Myrins daughter came running into the house and told her vaccine." Luckily the Myrins other mother there was a bat hiding in the adult catand two dogs were current on bushes outside in their yard, and her their vaccinations. "It is very important to have your kittens were playing with it. She was pretty excited that she animals vaccinated, and its unfortuhad found a live tut, but she didnt nate that our mother cats were overtouch it, she did exactly what her due, and the kittens hadnt had their second-grad- e teacher Mrs. Carter told shots yet, Staci concluded. Last year two rabid bats were found hertodoifsheevercameacraaabat, with a cat in LaPoint and local veteriStaci reported. When Staci went out to look she narians joined together in an effort to found the bat with all five of their 10 remind the public to vaccinate their week-ol- d kittens. Protecting herself animals against the deadly virus. Were reminded of the reason with heavy leather gloves Staci captured it and put it into ajar and placed animals are vaccinated when these it in the freezer and called the vet to tilings come up. The seriousness about rabies is that it is fatal unless it is have some questions answered. Dr. Blaine Whiting said the bat in time, Whiting said, add- should be tested, but wasnt sura if in& that is the big reason people the state lab would teat the bat be- arent encouraged to keep wildlife as cause it hadnt bitten a human. If any animal is showing abnormal He told me to call the state lab, Staci said. The call was made and the behavior and appears aggressive do lab agreed to test the bat if the clinic not approach it or try to touch it, but would send it out Meanwhile, the get to a phone and call law enforcement or an animal control officer, be Myrins, who live near Altamont, deadvised. cided that to protect their young chilWhenabite does occur, oftentimes dren they would have to have four of the first thingon everybody's mind is the kittens destroyed, and quarantined the mother cat and the one todestroy the offendinganimal, Whitkitten that the children wanted to ing said, when actually, it should be quarantined for 10 days to make cerThey called us Wedneaday evening tain that it doesnt have rabies. and told us that the bat had tested Any warmblooded animal - horses, positive for rabies," Staci said. At this cows, and people included - can con- By Cheryl Mecham Ostler attributed most of Utahs water pollution problems to nutrients, total dissolved solids, metals, and dissolved oxygen. He said that because agriculture is such a widespread industry throughout Utah, it can be a source of pollution in Utahs Were finding that agriculture acti vities are causingsome ofthe problems, he said. The main reasons for this are that agriculture operations use a lot of water and cover a lot of area. Agriculture is an area of concern mainly because of the manure that gets into the waterways from various feeding operations, according to Ostler. "Manure takes oxygen out of the water, adds nutrients, and bacteria that can cause illness, he said. Ostler also addressed the issue of TMDLe (Total Maximum Daily Loads) which refers to the amount of total pollution that a water body can sustain without impairing ita designated use such as drinking water or recre prob-lem,"- 1 SLOUGHING ROADWAY A DANGER Motorists advised to drive cautiously on South State Street By Lezlee E.Whiting Roosevelt city officials are telling motorists to use extreme caution when driving overadeteriora ting section of roadway on South State Street i I COPY l; south ofHighway 40. According to city administrator Brad Hancock, the culvert runningunder the portion of the road near the Rulon Andertons home is too short and the road is sloughing awayon both sides. High water caused by storms this summer and last have aggravated the condition ofthe road, causing it to crumble quickly. Road reconstruction is awaiting the arrival of materials which have been ordered. We are moving as fast as we can ... its a dangerous situation, Hancock stated. Iftheroadcontinuestoslough before we can get the materials for the project we may have to close it before construction work begins. Barricades have been erected at the site to alert drivers to the problem and remind them to stay in the center of the roadway, but the warning signals have been prone to vandalism Duchesne County, Roosevelt city crews and private contractors will work together on the prqject that will cost the city alone about $100,000. The county owns half ofthe road, said Hancock. FEEDING TH E M ASSES-Ri- ch Fisco and other Boy Scout leaders flipped plenty offlapjacks during the annual 24th Scout breakfast at Constitution Park. Organizers planned to feed at least 1 ,600 hungry mouths. of July Its not a small project. We have to coordinate materials and crews to do the work. It will delay our other street projects for a while. To complicate matters, a main sewer line, water line and telephone cable run down tha road where the. problem exists. When construction does begin those who travel South State Street will have to use an alternate route. |