Water News Roundup – May 13, 2010

Sorry for the delay – working from home today with a very sick kiddo. 😦

High Country News: It takes a district – Escalante Valley citizens plan to save their declining aquifer – Standing in a circle of verdant alfalfa shoots, Cody Staheli peers from under his Staheli Farms ball cap, looking beyond the irrigation lines to the snow-packed mountains framing southern Utah’s Escalante Valley. This year’s snowmelt is expected to be higher than average. “I try not to cuss at the mud,” Staheli says. (This article requires a registration for a free trial period – hopefully you are already subscribing to HCN.  If not, this is a great chance to give it a try for 30 days.)

Deseret News: Great Salt Lake Bird Festival starts Thursday – Birders from all over Utah are converging on Farmington this weekend for the 12th annual Great Salt Lake Bird Festival.  The festival runs through Monday, and some bird-watching field trips are still available. To book a field trip, call 801-451-3286.

Salt Lake Tribune: Water pipeline going in along 3200 West – The Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District, the agency that provides most of the drinking water for the communities in the Salt Lake Valley, has launched a major pipeline expansion that will begin in Taylorsville and run through West Jordan and South Jordan.

Water News Roundup – May 10, 2010

St. George Spectrum: Utah allows rainwater collection – During its 2010 session, the Utah Legislature approved Senate Bill 32. The mandate allows rainwater collection and storage in no more than one underground 2,500 gallon container or no more than two above-ground containers of 100 gallons each.

Salt Lake Tribune: Outdoor Notebook: Migrate on over to the Great Salt Lake Bird Festival – The 12th annual Great Salt Lake Bird Festival is May 13-17 with field trips, workshops, lectures and educational and craft booths. The Davis County Legacy Events Center, 151 S. 1100 West, Farmington, is the main location for the event with hours from noon to 7 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Bill Fenimore, author of Backyard Birds of Utah and The Salt Lake Tribune ‘s Bird Sighting feature, will be the keynote speaker at a dinner May 15 at 6 p.m. Visit greatsaltlakebirdfest.com or call 801-451-3286 for information.

Technorati Tags: Great Salt Lake,Great Salt Lake Bird Festival,rainwater harvesting

Water News Roundup – May 5, 2010

Ogden Standard Examiner: Exploring our feathered friends – The state’s premier bird festival might be organized by Davis County, but it reaches well beyond the county borders to explore and celebrate the diverse wild bird populations throughout the Great Salt Lake ecosystem and Northern Utah in general.

KSL: Salt Lake City residents could see water rate increase – Currently, the city is refurbishing an old sewer main dating from the 1960s. Almost $4 million is needed for projects like this one.

Technorati Tags: Great Salt Lake,Great Salt Lake Bird Festival,Salt Lake City,water infrastructure

Water News Roundup – March 4, 2010

KSL: Legislature OKs personal collection of rainwater – The Utah Legislature has passed a bill that would permit the personal collection of rainwater.

Deseret News: Great Salt Lake Bird Festival registration begins Thursday – Registration for the 12th annual Great Salt Lake Bird Festival begins at 9 a.m. Thursday.  Registration can be made online at www.greatsaltlakebirdfest.com or by calling 801-451-3278.

The Spectrum: Legislators to meet with city – Enoch City Council members will have the chance at their next meeting to ask Sen. Dennis Stowell, R.-Dist.28, questions about the recently passed Senate Bill 20 that allows for the creation of special districts by local entities to assess water rights.

Technorati Tags: Enoch,Great Salt Lake,Great Salt Lake Bird Festival,rainwater harvesting,Water Rights