On June 15, the Salt Lake (Jordan) Water Conservancy District will hold a public hearing where citizens will be able to speak out against the district's next proposed pork barrel project.
Wasatch Front taxpayers have invested in CUP for almost three decades, and now the only obstacle keeping CUP water from reaching the Salt Lake Valley is a 14-mile pipeline. In spite of the fact that CUP could provide higher quality water at a fraction of the cost of other alternatives, the Salt Lake Water Conservancy District recently passed a resolution saying they don't want CUP water.Instead, they are now turning their attention northward. The district plans to spend at least $350 million constructing dams on the Bear River, to tap some of the lowest quality water in Utah.
The district is bulldozing through citizen opposition to proposed Bear River dams by commissioning million-dollar studies and buying pipeline easements.
There is good reason for citizen opposition. The proposed Bear River dams would inundate miles of prime farmland, green space, floodplain and wildlife habitat in Cache and Box Elder counties. Homes would go under water, and more than 100 farm families would lose their livelihood.
The Barrens Dam in Cache County would take away the very heart of our green pastoral valley and replace it with a permanent, irreversible scar. Large enough to be seen from space and flooding a land area larger than the city of Logan, this salty "bathtub" would be the prominent structure in any view of our valley. Property values near the proposed dam site have already been harmed by rumors of the Salt Lake District plans.
By raising the water table, the Barrens Dam would increase the likelihood of flooding, already a critical problem for Cache County. Most alarmingly, the dam would pose a serious danger to families in the area. Its 70-foot high walls would hold back 200,000 acre feet of water in an earthquake zone.
The Bear River was recently named one of the 10 most-endangered rivers in America. Its water is extremely poor quality. This polluted, salty water would require extensive treatment, creating some of the most expensive water in the state.
It is estimated that treatment costs alone would average approximately $500 per acre foot. Because of the exorbitant price, no northern Utah municipality could afford this water, and many water experts predict that every drop would go downstream to the Wasatch Front.
Northern Utah citizens will see no benefits from these monstrous dams in their back yards.
In effect, the Salt Lake Water Conservancy District is attempting a land grab on a massive scale, stealing prime real estate at the heart of Cache and Box Elder valleys to construct dams when less expensive and higher quality water is more readily available elsewhere.
There is still a chance to thoughtfully plan for our future, to preserve our scenic heritage and our remaining green space and farmland. Come to the hearing on Tuesday, June 15, at 6:00 p.m., at the Salt Lake Water Conservancy District office.
Tell these unelected officials that you have had enough of their arrogant, pork barrel shenanigans. Urge district officials to show respect for neighbors in northern Utah and to seek least-cost, common sense solutions for Salt Lake taxpayers.
Nadene Steinhoff
Logan