Show Water Groups Seek Membership Four Sanpete County groups are lending their support to an effort to gain signatures on a petition to enable Sanpete County County County Coun Coun- ty to become a part of the Central Central Central Cen Cen- Utah Water Conservancy District Three of the organizations have been working on this matter matter matter mat mat- ter for some time The Sanpete County Commission added its endorsement last Tuesday at its its' regularly monthly meeting The other three groups are the Sanpete Water Conservancy District District District Dis Dis- Sanpete Water Users Association Association Association As As- and the Sanpete County Coun Coun- ty Water Vater and Natural Resources Committee Six Six reasons are given on the petition for Sanpete County urgently urgently urgently ur ur- ur- ur gently pressing its bid to become a member o 0 Central Utah Water Vater District They are 1 Sanpete County economy is directed related to agriculture If as little as acre feet of water could be made available available available avail avail- able for the local waters users the whole area would benefit by bythe bythe bythe the process of exchange of water wa wa- ter It is possible that such an amount of water or more could be delivered by Central Utah Water Conservancy District to Sevier Bridge Reservoir at a acost acost acost cost lower than using the water for new irrigation lands out of the area The Sevier Bridge Reservoir Reservoir Reservoir Res Res- has a capacity of acre feet but the average main storage on April 1st has only been acre feet or 52 of its capacity 2 There will be great competition competition competition compe compe- in the future for water from the Colorado River Basin chances of diverting water into Sevier Basin and to Sanpete County will be greater if Sanpete Sanpete Sanpete San San- pete County is part of the Dis Dis- 3 There is a general understanding understanding understanding under under- standing in Utah that lands already already already al al- al- al ready irrigated should receive a full supply of water before any new lands are furnished water wa wa- ter The 1964 United States Bureau Bureau Bureau Bu Bu- Bu- Bu reau of Reclamation Definite Plan Report lists acres of new land to receive irrigation water from the Bonneville unit If delivery of water at Sevier Bridge is feasible it could be that water could be diverted to Sevier Basin as a supplemental water supply This is water that could be used on land under cultivation cultivation cultivation cul cul- cul- cul which would meet USER Land Classification standards This would firm up our water supply and the whole economy 4 Eventually the Central Utah Water Conservancy District willbe will willbe willbe be one of the most powerful water water water wa wa- ter organizations in the West As the population on the Wasatch Wasatch Wasatch Was Was- atch front grows more money and water for agriculture will willbe willbe willbe be available If Sanpete is part of the District it will be in a far better position to obtain water than as a possible contracting agency 5 Also with the exchange of some of the present well water could be made available for future industrial growth in Sanpete County 6 It is common knowledge that since the time of reapportionment reapportionment reapportionment the rural areas have been handicapped A voice in inthis inthis inthis this District could be a great advantage for Sanpete The county cant can't stand alone A powerful powerful powerful pow pow- erful friend helping with some of the present water projects like Gooseberry and other trans- trans mountain diversions could be bethe bethe bethe the turning hand Officers of the groups point out that in their opinion the possible possible possible pos pos- sible benefits for inclusion far exceed the possible disadvantages disadvantages disadvantages that for the county to fail to for inclusion would be bea bed a d serious mistake There are at present petitions for inclusion of other areas pending before the Court The officers point out that Sanpete should proceed immediately immediately immediately im im- im- im mediately to include its petition so that it will have an equal opportunity |