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Show AMERICAN FORK WATER BOARD ISSUES STATEMENT Yesterday we enacted an ordinance providing for an election to determine de-termine whether or not the Metropolitan District of American Fork shall subscribe for 500 acre feet of water in the Deer Creek project. To get this water it is necessary for the district to buy 500 shares of stock in the Provo River Water Users Association. The association is the contracting agency which buys the project of the United States for its stockholders which consist of Metropolitan Water Districts, Irrigation companies, com-panies, Conservation Districts and others who actually use the water rights. In passing this ordinance we believe we are following the mandate of the voters of American Fork last February when they authorized the formation of the Metropolitan Water District, the first step necessary to get Deer Creek water, by an overwhelming vote of almost 5 to 1. We have made careful investigation into our needs and have consulted con-sulted with the mayor and members of the city council as to the amount of water that will be necessary to supplement the supply for our city. There was more or less general agreement among those whom we consulted that 500 acre feet would be about the right amount for a supplemental right for this community. Water for Improvement It is our firm conviction that if American Fork increases its park capacity and takes care of future water services as the city grows, that all of this water will be needed and actually used in our city before many years. If it should not be needed for a number of years until the future growth of this city requires it, then we have found that there will be plenty of opportunities to rent the water to farmers near by. The rental from the water will be sufficient to pay the annual payments to the Association for ' our subscription. We have considered the matter very carefully and have come to the conclusion that the taxpayers of this district should vote "Yes" on the question which will be submitted on Tuesday, September 21st, and in support sup-port of this reccornendation we submit the following reasons: Reasons Listed 1. We shall need water fer drouth years and for future growth and even for present necessities if any improvement program is undertaken such as we have mentioned. In the dry year of 1934 our needs in this respect were brought forcibly forci-bly to our attention. That year it became necessary to take irrigation water to use in the city mains. Even in this year (1937) of abundance of water many city gardens and adjoining farms have needed more water. One ditch lateral has had to pump water this summer. 2. There is no feasible source of obtaining an additional water supply sup-ply for the cities and towns of northern Utah County, except from the Weber, Duchesne and Provo Rivers in a project such as Deer Creek is planned plan-ned to be. ' ; 3. In order to get this water some agency such as the United States which can advance funds without interest will have to undertake such a mammoth undertaking. No one city, town or irrigation company could undertake it alone. 4. The United States has responded to many requests made by Utah representatives that such a project be undertaken, and following its reclamation recla-mation policy of some 30 years standing is building the project for the people and gives them 40 years in which to pay for it. No interest is to be charged on the amount of money invested in the project. No business enterprise, en-terprise, of course, could do a thing as generous as this, and only a Government Govern-ment which is interested in its people would undertake it. The Government Govern-ment is in no sense the promoter of the project, but is doing it to help reclaim re-claim the dester west. We surely can trust our own government. 5. We will be required only to pay our proportionate share of the actual cost of the project. The amount named in the repayment contract, to-wit: $7,600,000, is the maximum. If the project costs less we pay our proportionate share of that lessened cost. Will Furnish Employment 6. Our citizens need employment. This project will spend $4,000,-000.00 $4,000,-000.00 or better for labor. We feel that we should take some part in building the project if we are to have our citizens employed. Employment Employ-ment will last about three years and it is estimated more than 3,000 men will be working that length of time. Also it is understood that an aqueduct to carry water to cities and towns in Salt Lake Valley will be built. This is not now a part of the contract, but the Secretary of the Interior is committed com-mitted to the proposal, and when this is built another five million dollars will be expended, which, of course, will have to be repaid by the cities and towns using the aqueduct. Much of the five million will be spent for labor and for materials in the central part of Utah, With this large amount of money being expended we cannot help but get a share of it. 7. Deer Creek water is call water that is, it is water held the same as money is held in the bank which can be called for when needed most. In this respect it is much more valuable than ordinary gravity water which we must take when nature sends it our way. Having storage water at our command is the very best insurance we can have for culinary supply and incidentally to help many of our farmers and gardners who would like to rent it when we don't need it. 8. Considering the fact that Deer Creek water is call water we think the cost is very reasonable. We are convinced that we will never be able to get it cheaper or under any better terms than are now being offered by the United States. Payments out of Rentals 9. The water can be paid for out of rentals received for it, or in the event it is used by the City as part of its culinary supply water rates will be sufficient to make the annual payments. We are particularly impressed with this since Salt Lake City completed an engineering report which shows that in that city the Deer Creek water, including an extra investment invest-ment of five million dollars for an aqueduct, can be paid for out of existing water rates without the necessity of levying property taxes, borrowing money, or even raising the water rates. Payments to be received from the new service made possible by having the water, it was found, would be sufficient to take care of the annual payments for Deer Creek water. Our city should be in a much better position for the reason that we will not have to pay for an expensive aqueduct, and for the further reason that we have adjacent farm lands which can use the surplus water we may have at a rental which will make our annual payments. There are many other reasons which we might urge, but space will not permit. We will be glad to furnish any information within our means to interested taxpayers, and we suggest in that connection that the best place to get information about this project is from those who have made a detailed study of it. Finally, we urge the voting taxpayers of this city to consider the matter carefully, and we believe that after they have done this they will follow our recommendation and vote to subscribe for water in the Deer Creek project. Respectfully submitted, STEPHEN T. SHELLEY, LOTT ROBINSON, WM. H. PRESTON, Directors of Metropolitan Water District of American Fork. . |
