Newton
Dam already 87% full, up from 30% last year
By Chris Johnsen
April 28, 2005 | NEWTON -- Newton
Dam boasts 87 percent of capacity and could reach 100
percent after four years of declining water levels,
said Joe Larsen, president of Newton Water Users.
"We're really smiley-faced this year," said Larsen.
Between March 15 and April 16 the water level rose
from 30 percent to 87 percent. "This is phenomenal,"
said Larsen. More water is great news to Newton farmers
who last year, on average, lost one crop to drought
conditions.
One lost crop translates to one quarter of a farmer's
income, and crop farmers are not the only ones affected.
Dairy farmers suffered similar losses after having to
buy feed for their cows, due to losing their own feed
crops. Some crop land was even left vacant, as short
water supplies prevented any production there at all.
This year's current water level should be sufficient
to prevent crop losses due to lack of water, said Larsen.
Eighty-seven, as the capacity percentage, equals the
percent of water the reservoir's 150 stockholders will
receive per share. Farmers hold about 200 to 300 shares,
and private homeowners hold about half a share. Shareholders
usually receive water until the end of the season or
until it is too low to be pumped out.
Conservationists said the reservoir should not be
run dry during wet years, to store and save water for
dry years. Larsen however, disagrees because of Utah's
current water laws. "If you don't use it, you lose it,"
he said; the state will take it for culinary purposes.
The dam is fed by Clarkston Creek and drains into
the Bear River. Bear River water is divided by law among
Cache, Box Elder, and the Wasatch Front. Each group
is allocated 33 percent of the water, but Larsen said
the percentage could change if the state believes Newton
is hoarding water.
"If you look at the Legislature they could soon change
that law, because we haven't got the legislators they
have in the Wasatch Front," said Larsen.
Last year marked a five-year low point for Newton
Dam at 30 percent of capacity. The dam was last full
in 2000 and since then, water levels have sporadically
declined until this year. According to its history the
reservoir will fill once every ten years, said Larsen.
Newton Dam is the first irrigation reservoir
built in Utah and probably the United States, and
has a volume of 410,000 cubic yards covering 5,600 acre-feet.
NW
JLC
|
