WSP02161 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

I-" 00 ~ 01 The dominant present and projected water uses in the Bear River portion of the Wasatch Front are irrigation and marshland evapotranspiration. Nearly all of the present irrigation diversions in Box Elder County are met from the Bear River itself at diversion points located at Cutler Dam. The Ma1ad River (a tributary of the Bear River) has a total dissolved solids content excess- ively high for irrigation, and is used only for marshland supply. The managed marshlands are also supplied by the Bear River, natural springs, and return flows from irrigated lands. The diversion points are located mainly below irrigated lands and directly above the outflows to the Great Salt Lake. All ,culinary water for municipalities and rural domestic systems is obtained from, springs, wells, and the small mountain streams. The entire population of Box Elder County is 28,000. The population forecast for the year 2000 is 56,000. Water uses in Weber and Davis Counties (Weber and Ogden River drain- ages) are similar to those in Box Elder County, with the addition of a substantial municipal and industrial demand. Irrigation and M&I needs are met primarily by surface flows from the Weber and Ogden Rivers and local mountain streams. About 36,000 acre-feet annually are presently produced from wells. These supply part of the municipal and domestic demand. The present supply to marshlands consists of about 57 percent return flows from irrigation and 43 percent previously undiverted flows from the Weber River. Approximately 206,000 people live in the two counties. This popu- lation is expected to rise to 472,000 by the year 2000. The Jordan River and tributaries directly serve the largest popula- tion center in the State of Utah. The present population estimate for Salt Lake County is 443,000 and for Utah County is 120,000. The projected population for the year 2000 for the two counties is 976,000 and 243,000, respectively. Agriculture is still a major water user in the Jordan River Basin, and it will not be until nearly the year 2000 that water consumption by M&I uses is projected to exceed water consumption by agricultural uses. In general, M&I uses are supplied by local mountain streams, the Provo River, Weber River, the Duchesne River and, to a lesser extent, by groundwater. Present irrigation water is obtained principally from Utah Lake, the Jordan, Spanish Fork, Weber and Duchesne River, and local mountain stream, and ground- water. Marshland water use also is important in this basin. It is presently met by return flows from agriculture, sewage effluent, and other presently uncontrolled flows of the Jordan River. Water Sources Most present and near-future water problems in Utah appear to be related to distribution in time and space. In general, the north central part of the state has a more-than-sufficient supply to satisfy present uses (although there are summer shortages), while in much of the remainder of the state the supply even in years of average runoff has been inadequate to meet existing or desired uses. It is apparent that if the state as a whole is to have adequate water to meet projected uses, it must depend on -25-