Water News Roundup – August 11, 2010

Provo Daily Herald: Pleasant Grove weighs water options – A years-long argument about how to provide water and sewer to Manilla residents continued progress at a snail’s pace on Tuesday. Pleasant Grove elected officials spent more than an hour discussing how to end a stalemate that has now outlasted several mayors.

Salt Lake Tribune: Who dumped paint into City Creek? – The Salt Lake Valley Health Department is trying to determine who dumped latex paint and mortar residue into a storm drain leading into City Creek.

Wall Street Journal: California puts off vote on huge water-upgrade effort – California lawmakers have voted to delay putting an $11.1 billion water bond to voters, extending a battle to rework the biggest effort in decades to upgrade the state’s water system.

Water News Roundup – August 9, 2010

KSL: Counties sign Jordan River Pact – Three Wasatch Front counties took a major step Wednesday to make the Jordan River corridor a greater community centerpiece.

Agencies discuss safety plans for the Jordan River – Several agencies met to discuss safety plans for a trouble spot along the Jordan River after couple died last weekend while kayaking.

Logan canal project could be delayed by study – Work to restore the full flow of irrigation water to thousands of acres of northern Utah farmland could be delayed now that a more in-depth environmental study on a canal project is planned.

Pleasant Grove sets water restrictions – Pleasant Grove has issued a citywide conservation plan for watering.  Residents in odd-numbered houses can water on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The days for even-numbered homes are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

KCPW: Local officials sign agreement to create Jordan River Commission – Representatives from Salt Lake, Davis and Utah Counties signed an agreement this afternoon to coordinate efforts to restore and revive the Jordan River. And they’re calling the plan “historic.” KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports.

Water News Roundup – August 2, 2010

Will be at all day training sessions August 3-4.  No water news these days, but back on Thursday.  Thanks for checking in!

Deseret News: State forestry division plans open houses to craft Great Salt Lake Management Plan – With the wind rustling in the cattails and birds bobbing on the water of the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, members of the new Great Salt Lake Advisory Council convened their second meeting — a get-acquainted session on topics related to the unique body of water.

Those meetings are:

Aug. 10, Weber County.

Aug. 17, Salt Lake and Davis counties.

Aug. 24, Tooele County.

Aug. 31, Box Elder County.

More information can be found at www.ffsl.utah.gov/sovlands/gsl.php.

Flash floods set off mudslides and close access to roads in Utah, Duchesne counties – Flash flooding triggered mudslides and closed off access to U.S. 89 near Bird’s Eye Sunday evening but forecasters predict the weather will clear up by Monday.

KSL: Storm floods parts of Utah County – A quick-moving rain storm caused major problems in Utah County Saturday evening.

Salt Lake Tribune: Storms cause flooding in S. Utah – Residents spent Saturday filling sandbags and clearing thick red mud from Kanab streets and basements, caused by floodwaters from torrential rains that swept into town.

Provo Daily Herald: New water restrictions for Pleasant Grove – Residents are using much more water this summer than last year and it is causing a concern about the city’s secondary water supply.

AWRA Blog: Western Governor’s Association DC Workshop: Drought, Climate and Water– The Western Governors’ Association and the Western States Water Council will sponsor a two-day workshop in DC, 14-15 September 2010, on: Drought, Climate and Water: Using Today’s Information and Designing Tomorrow’s Services.

Water News Roundup – July 28, 2010

Deseret News: Strawberry River restoration project brings promise – Along a section of the Strawberry River, the bare earthen bank tells the story of man’s meddling gone wrong, of ripping away vegetation that once held together the soil.

Provo Daily Herald: Pleasant Grove officially joins aquifer study – Hoping that the city may someday be able to store water for future use, the Pleasant Grove City Council has agreed to join other north county cities in the North Utah County Aquifer Association.

Salt Lake Tribune: Groups challenge plans for Utah tar sands mine – A small Canadian company, in need of millions for its ambitious plans, also is facing stiff opposition from two Utah environmental groups that are trying to thwart its efforts to build one of the first commercial tar sand mines in the country.

MSNBC: Pipeline leak pollutes major Michigan river – Crews were working Tuesday to contain and clean up more than 800,000 gallons of oil that poured into a creek and flowed into the Kalamazoo River in southern Michigan, coating birds and fish.

HCN: It’s getting warmer and drier – A new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) offers a mixed picture of how climate change will affect Western water supplies.

Water News Roundup – May 24, 2010

Deseret News: Invasive quagga mussel found in Utah reservoir – State wildlife officers say divers have found what appears to be signs of the invasive quagga mussel in a Utah waterway.

Salt Lake Tribune:

Suspected quagga mussel found in S. Utah – The long-feared first case of an invasive, troublesome and costly exotic mussel is suspected at Sand Hollow Reservoir in southern Utah.

Thirsty farmers in Sanpete County may get dam soon – After nearly 80 years of hoping, bickering and legal challenges, farmers in northern Sanpete County are closer than ever to having water flow to their fields in the arid months of summer from a dammed creek high on the Wasatch Plateau.

Skip the sprinklers: rain will water for you this weekend – The bad news is that yet another spring weekend in Utah is likely to be wet. The good news: you still don’t need to start up the sprinkler system. (Check out the regional, weather-station/ET-based Weekly Lawn-Watering Guide!!)

St. George Spectrum: Water services expanding – The St. George City Council approved a bid for a $3.7 million water project Thursday that should improve water capacity and pressure on the south side of the city.

Provo Daily Herald: Pl. Grove needs $3M to pipe mountain runoff – A massive effort to pipe the Murdock Canal has left Pleasant Grove looking for ways to pay for its own $3 million pipeline.

Provo Daily Herald – Opinion: Another look at Utah Lake bridge plan – I am writing in response to the recent guest opinion by Howard Johnson (“Facts support need for Utah Lake bridge” in the May 17 edition of the Daily Herald).

I know I should be thrilled for our water supply, but dang it!! This is asking too much: