OCR Text |
Show Frees Flood Funds Governor Scott M. Mathe-son Mathe-son has freed an additional $1,875,000 in state Board of Water Resources funds from deferred status to help mutual irrigation companies and water wa-ter users organizations pay for repairs to flood damaged canals, can-als, diversions and other irrigation irriga-tion structures. Most of the board's funds were included in Governor Matheson's recent freeze action on capital budgets of state agencies to help deal with expenses of the Spanish Fork Canyon ear-thslide. ear-thslide. IN APPROVING the release of funds, Governor Matheson said, "It is essential that Utah's flood damaged and water-deprived farmland be restored res-tored as quickly as possible, and irrigation systems be rebuilt re-built to serve those lands. The state is taking the initiative initia-tive to make these funds available avail-able through the Board of Water Wa-ter Resources to mutual irrigation irriga-tion companies and water user associations in the form of interest-free loans to help pay for reconstruction of flood damaged dam-aged structures." FLOOD damages to irrigation irriga-tion facilities are currently estimated at $6.6 million. Counties tallying agricultural damages include Box Elder, Millard, Sanpete, Sevier, Juab, Tooele, Weber and Uintah. Uin-tah. Mutual irrigation companies com-panies generally are not eligible eligi-ble for state or federal grants. John P. Holmgren, II, chairman chair-man of the Board of Water Resources, Re-sources, said the earmarked flood damage money will be diverted di-verted out of the Board's revolving re-volving funds. Holmgren said the board's staff will give prompt attention to applications applica-tions for irrigation reconstruction reconstruc-tion funds. |