Price City Press Release
The availability of water this year has been reduced dramatically primarily due to insignificant amounts of snow and rainfall and storage in the reservoir. The snow pack in the mountain is about 40% and in the lower elevations snow is essentially non-existent. Scofield Reservoir is 24% of usable capacity at 15,663 acre feet as of April 12 with only 7,000 acre feet of inflow expected from the meager snow pack in the high mountains. Reflection on past drought years (1992, 2004) and resulting reservoir shortage conditions strongly suggest this year will experience a similar situation.
The Price River Water Users Association has set this year’s delivery of Scofield Reservoir water shares at 25%. It is likely that direct or natural flow rights will be restricted at a similar lower percentage also.
Price City derives its culinary water from both Colton Springs and Scofield Reservoir. Generally, the water from the springs meets the demand for domestic household use. In the summer, additional water is needed to meet the demand for outside water use that includes lawns, gardens and washing cars. The additional water comes from Scofield Reservoir water shares. As was explained already the delivery from Scofield is going to be at 25% of normal usage, so that means the city will have less water to deliver. Sustaining water resources and storage for domestic household culinary use and firefighting reserves will have the highest priority.
The impact on the city is similar to what will be felt throughout the Price River Valley. There needs to be a valley-wide effort to conserve water (municipal, commercial, institutional, industrial and agricultural, private, governmental) using it wisely and slowing the flow so that there will be a measured amount of water available throughout the coming weeks and months this summer.
See the city’s webpage (www.priceutah.net) for “Water Conservation Information, Updates and Tips.”
We made it through the drought of 1992, we can do it again in 2015! Just slow the flow.