Ground Water Management Plan Beryl

1
Ground Water Management PlanBeryl Enterprise
Area

• Public Meeting
• Enterprise, Utah
• March 13, 2007

2
Proposed Agenda

• Ground-Water Management Law
• Ground Water Hydrology
• Economic Considerations
• Whats Next
• Questions

3
Legislative Water Task Force

• HB 247 General Session 2004 Created
  the Water Issues Task Force
• Membership -5 Senators 8 Representatives
• Issues Addressed Ground-water management
  (2005) Water rights enforcement
  (2004) Conservation reuse (2005) Instream
  flows (2006)
• Water Community / Task Force

4
HB 228 Groundwater Management Plan Bill

• Recommended by Water Issues Task Force
• Passed the Legislature - 2006 General Session
• Amended 73-5-1, Appointment water comm
• Enacted 73-5-15, GW Mgt Plan

5

GROUND-WATER MANAGEMENT PLANS Bountiful
Sub-area Cedar Valley (Utah Co.) Cache
Valley Northern Juab Valley Pahvant Valley Salt
Lake Valley Synderville Basin Tooele
Valley Upper Provo River Utah Goshen
Valleys Weber-Delta Sub-area







6
Section 73-5-15Ground-Water Management Plan
Definitions (1) As used in this section

•      (a) "Critical management area" means a
  groundwater basin in which the groundwater
  withdrawals consistently exceed the safe
  yield.            

(b) "Safe yield" means the amount of groundwater
that can be withdrawn from a groundwater basin
over a period of time without exceeding the
long-term recharge of the basin or unreasonably
affecting the basin's physical and chemical
integrity.
7
(2) (a) The state engineer may regulate
groundwater withdrawals within a specific
groundwater basin by adopting a groundwater
management plan .
(b) The objectives of a groundwater management
plan are to     (i) limit groundwater
withdrawals to safe yield     (ii) protect the
physical integrity of the aquifer and    
(iii) protect water quality.
8
(3) (a) In developing a groundwater management
plan, the state engineer may consider

• (i) the hydrology of the groundwater basin
• (ii) the physical characteristics .
• (iii) the relationship between surface water and
  groundwater, .
• (iv) the geographic spacing and location of
  groundwater withdrawals
• (v) water quality
• (vi) local well interference and
• (vii) other relevant factors.

9

• 3 (b) The state engineer shall base the
  provisions of a groundwater management plan on
  the principles of prior appropriation.

10
4 (b) When adopting a groundwater management plan
for a critical management area, the state
engineer shall, based on economic and other
impacts to an individual water user or a local
community caused by the implementation of safe
yield limits on withdrawals, allow gradual
implementation of the groundwater management
plan.
11
Other provisions

• Voluntary arrangement by water users
• Public notice and involvement
• Effective date plan
• Notice of the final plan
• Amending a plan
• Filing an appeal
• Exempt from rulemaking
• Existing plans recognized

12
Beryl Enterprise
13
Hydrologic Studies

• Hydrology Of The Beryl-Enterprise Area, Escalante
  Desert, - Mower (1982)
• Ground-water conditions in Utah - Burden (2005)
• USGS National Information System Water Level Web
  Interface
• Consumptive Use of Irrigated Crops in Utah Hill
  (1994)
• Acreage Surveys Utah Division of Water Rights
• (32 additional reports)

14
Water Balance

• Recharge
• Precipitation
• Runoff
• Return flow from irrigation

• Discharge
• Evapotranspiration
• Underflow
• Wells

15
Groundwater Data

• Available Data
• Ground water level data
• Recharge estimates
• Evapotranspiration estimates
• Basin wide Well pumping estimates
• Crop Acreages
• Data Gaps
• Surface water diversion
• Well pumping records per water right

16
(No Transcript)
17
Groundwater Development

• Irrigation wells began being developed as early
  as 1919
• 1937 an estimated 3,000 acft of water was being
  pumped for irrigation.
• 1945 withdrawals increase sharply now reaching
  an average annual discharge rate of 85,000 acft

18
Water Right Applications
19
Irrigated Acreage
20
Water Budget

• Recharge 34,000 acft
• Discharge by Natural Sources 7,000 acft
• Total Irrigated Acreage 28,000 acres
• Surface Supplied Acreage ? acres
• Groundwater Supplied Acreage ? acres
• Change in Storage Calculation 30,500 acft

21
Water Right Records

• Review and update electronic records
• Sole supply
• Place of use groups
• Finalize outstanding proofs

22
Activities ..

• Contract with Utah Water Lab Dr. Steven
  Vickner, Professor at USU Assist with economic
  analyses
• Hydrologic data
• Water right records

23
Whats Next ???

• Allow 30 -45 days for comments Economic
  impacts Other impacts Gradual
  implementation
• Future meeting(s)
• Safe yield Water rights Economic
  considerations Other issues

24

• Send Comments To Utah Division of Water
  Rights
• PO Box 146300
• Salt Lake City UT 84114-6300
• Web Site http//www.waterrights.utah.gov/
  Future meetings Comments Data and
  information Reports