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Show Volume XXIX Issue XIII The Ogden Valley News Page 11 May 15, 2022 Time to Rethink Water a water basin. Restoration efforts at the headwa- By Katherine Mortimer Traditional methods of getting clean drinking water are reducing the amount of water available, adding to water shortages. To understand how and why, we have to start at the beginning with the natural water cycle. The natural water cycle starts with the sun heating surface water like oceans, lakes, and streams, which causes evaporation and cloud formation. Clouds are then drawn towards the cooler land where it rains, filling rivers and lakes and recharging the groundwater through a natural moist sponge that is characteristic of healthy soil. But through time, humans cleared forests for cities and food production, drying out the land and reducing the moisture in the soil. Cities emit heat, which further hampers clouds, and the moisture they carry, from coming on to land—until the pressure builds to a point where the clouds can overcome this resistance, resulting in heavier storms. Too, dryer ground doesn’t allow water to infiltrate so well; thus, the soil doesn’t get as moist, preventing the groundwater from recharging as much, further reducing the amount of water availability in the soils. Now climate change is adding more heat to the system, increasing the amount of water that is evaporated, triggering even larger and more dramatic rain events. You might think that the greater amount of rain would mean more water available for humans but just the opposite is happening. The problem is, as soil moisture is reduced, it makes it more and more difficult for water to infiltrate deep into the soils—much like how a dry sponge doesn’t absorb water as easily as a damp sponge. Lower soil moisture stresses out trees and other vegetation, making natural areas more prone to fire and, when on fire, to higher temperatures and even more destruction. After the fires, flood risk increases as the exposed soil becomes even dryer. Reduced groundwater recharge makes it harder to get through periods of drought since we rely on stored groundwater, particularly during these events, just as climate change is causing longer and more severe droughts. In arid climates, the repercussions of limited water resources have been felt more keenly, incentivizing development of water conservation strategies to make the available water go farther. But as climate change exacerbates the drying of the land with higher temperatures, we are seeing bigger storms, more severe wildfires, and longer and more severe droughts. Unfortunately, we can’t conserve our way to a more resilient water system. We need a new way of thinking about water, one that works with the water cycle, improves water infiltration, and increases soil moisture so the soil, once again, becomes more characteristic of a sponge. This will slow down runoff, so the water has more time to infiltrate and increase groundwater recharge, helping to build surplus to make it through drought cycles. There are strategies to help restore the natural water cycle and increase soil moisture throughout ters slows down runoff, lengthening the watering season and making water systems and fisheries healthier. It also helps create healthier soils and healthy soils absorb more water, recharging the groundwater in a positive feedback loop. In the urban environment, we can and should continue to improve water efficiency. But we also need to look beyond water conservation strategies. Exposed soil can be planted, increasing soil health and stormwater runoff infiltration. Plants create shade, reducing evaporation and providing natural spaces within the urban fabric, which also provide public health benefits. Cooling hard surfaces like roofs, roads, and parking lots assists clouds to move over land more readily—before they get too big and heavy with explosive amounts of water. Water inequities have long existed such as in Detroit where water quality and cost combined to create an extensive water crisis affecting lowincome communities of color disproportionately. In California’s central valley, farmworkers live with contaminated water. The California Resources Control Board has documented over 300 contaminated water systems. There are many poor rural communities that lack access to clean water systems. Now climate change impacts are adding new water equity challenges. Climate migration impacts marginalized communities to a greater extent. When communities are forced to move due to sea level rise or increase flooding, their cohesiveness as a community is lost and their culture suffers. Social networks provide resiliency during crisis events. Displacement of these networks further fragments communities and society. Restoring the natural water cycle is a disaster mitigation strategy. FEMA has recognized how it can reduce the impacts of fires, floods, and droughts. The USDA has long advocated for regenerative food production practices for both farming and ranching. The department of the Interior is also prioritizing environmental restoration for federal and tribal lands. In addition, other benefits of incorporating disaster mitigation strategies include reducing the heat island effect and reducing greenhouse gas emissions through sequestration. Each mature tree sequesters more than 48 pounds of greenhouse gases each year. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIPA) incorporates strategies designed to restore the water cycle and ecosystems. According to an analysis done by the Department of the Interior, the Act includes funding to provide access to clean water to communities that currently lack it and to replace lead pipes, both of which are critically important and reduce existing inequities. The Act will also fund water efficiency and water recycling programs, rural water projects, forest and ecosystem restoration, and support for community-led transitions for the most vulnerable Tribal communities. The IIPA provides an opportunity to begin to transition to a more resilient water system that has more water available for all uses— human and nature. What is needed to ensure this happens is a coordinated effort throughout each watershed to restore the natural water system from the headwaters to the cities. Katherine Mortimer is the founder and principal of Pax Consulting, LLC, assisting clients develop and implement effective, measurable, and equitable climate change action and resiliency plans. Prior to starting Pax, she was the Sustainability Director of Santa Fe, New Mexico. She has a Bachelor of Architecture from the California College of the Arts and a Master of Environmental Planning from UC Berkeley. EMERGENCY ORDER cont. from page 1 below 55% of available capacity. Overall statewide storage is 59% of capacity. This time • 99.39% of the state is in severe drought or last year, reservoirs were about 67% of capacity. worse, with 43.46% of Utah in extreme drought. • Statewide snow water equivalent (SWE), or how • Soil moisture is 4% higher compared to normal for this time of year. Wet soils are much water would be in the snowpack if it melted, critical for effective spring runoff. peaked at 12 inches. This is 75% of the typical • Of the 94 measured streams, 59 are flowing median peak of 16 inches for our water year. below normal despite spring runoff. Two • Nineteen of Utah’s largest 45 reservoirs are streams are flowing at record low conditions. Bring YOur Grad to dinner! 36 FREE Ice Cream Sundae to Graduates! For a complete menu go to www.timbermine.com Mouth of Ogden Canyon 1701 Park Blvd. Ogden 801-393-2155 Open Tues-Thurs. 4:30 - 8:30 p.m. Fri. and Sat. 4:30 - 9:00 p.m. Closed Sun. & Mon. CHECK OUT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE First Case of Avian Flu in Wild Birds in Utah Confirmed: DWR Asks Public Not to Touch Dead Birds While highly pathogenic avian influenza was confirmed in domestic birds in Utah last month, the first case of the virus in a wild bird was recently confirmed after a dead great horned owl tested positive. High pathogenic avian influenza viruses are very contagious among birds and can cause rapid and high mortality in domestic birds, such as chickens, turkeys, and domestic ducks. These viruses occasionally kill wild birds as well. The most common wild birds impacted by the virus are typically waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors, and scavengers. There are typically few symptoms in waterfowl and shorebirds, but the virus can kill raptors and scavengers quickly. The virus is spread among birds through nasal and oral discharge, as well as fecal droppings. It can be spread to backyard poultry and domestic birds through contaminated shoes or vehicles. A great horned owl was found dead in Cache County April 29, 2022 and was sent to the Utah Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Logan for testing. It was then sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, which confirmed the bird had high pathogenic avian influenza. Five additional great horned owls have been found dead in Cache and Weber counties, and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is awaiting their test results. Songbirds are not typically affected by avian flu, so people shouldn’t have to remove bird feeders unless they also have backyard chickens or domestic ducks, which are susceptible to the virus. However, it’s always recommended to regularly clean bird feeders and baths. Although the current strain of the avian flu presents a low risk to people, it has been confirmed in at least one person in Colorado during this most recent outbreak. Visit the CDC website for more information on keeping yourself safe. “If anyone finds a group of five or more dead waterfowl or shorebirds or any individual dead scavengers or raptors, they should report it to the nearest DWR office and absolutely make sure not to touch the birds or pick them up,” DWR Veterinarian Ginger Stout said. “Just report it to us, and we will come collect them for testing. We are continuing to monitor this virus in wild bird populations. It typically doesn’t have much of an impact on the overall populations of waterfowl, but it’s likely that we will have some die now that it’s been confirmed in wild birds in the state.” The last outbreak of avian flu in the U.S. occurred in 2014-15, when highly pathogenic strains of avian influenza were detected in wild birds of the Pacific, Central and Mississippi flyways. During that outbreak, the virus was detected in two healthy ducks in Utah. For more information about the current avian flu outbreak, visit the DWR website. All West Communications Fiber Network Expands to Upper Ogden Valley All West Communications is thrilled to announce the launch of its fiber optic internet, streaming TV service, and digital phone solutions— on a redundant network—to the residents of Huntsville, Eden, Liberty and Peterson. Construction began May 2, 2022 in the commercial centers of Huntsville and Eden, and will extend to other developments within the area this year. The build will include more than 72 miles of fiber and duct, providing services to over 4,500 homes and businesses. This is just one of the major buildouts All West is investing in this year, and we are excited to expand our service offerings to these communities. Internet offerings will include speeds from 300 Mbps to up to 1 Gig starting at $59.95 a month. We’ll also be offering other services, including Plume managed wi-fi, which gives customers complete control of their home network; All West.tv, our digital TV streaming service with over 115+ channels to choose from; and phone, with both local and long distance options. “We’re excited to bring fiber to this corner of Utah,” Matt Weller, All West Communications President, stated. “We believe everyone should have access to fast and reliable internet no matter where they live and our team is looking forward to serving the residents and businesses in the area.” All West Communications believes in delivering the best possible services to our communities; investing in all-fiber networks is one way we do this. Fiber provides the ability to offer faster speeds and a more reliable, stable network, compared to wireless or satellite options. Our Eden office is located at 5460 E. 2200 N will open at the end of May and will be ready to welcome customers in person, over the phone, or via email correspondence. We look forward to partnering with you for your telecommunication needs. For more information on All West Communications’ fiber expansion and timeline, visit allwest.com or call 866-255-9378. |