Recently at a meeting of the Vernal Chamber of Commerce, the General Manager of the Uintah Water Conservancy District, William Merkley, spoke about the conservancy district and its efforts. He explained that the Uintah Water Conservancy District serves as the sponsoring repayment and operating entity for the Vernal and Jensen Units of the Central Utah Project, which comprise Steinaker and Red Fleet Reservoirs. The District is charged with day to day facility operations and maintenance. The Vernal Unit annually provides 17,900 acre-feet of supplemental irrigation water to users in the Ashley Valley, as well as 1,600 acre-feet of Municipal and Industrial water. The Jensen Unit annually provides 4,600 acre-feet of supplemental irrigation water to users along Brush Creek and the Jensen area, as well as up to 18,000 acre-feet of Municipal and Industrial water to the Ashley Valley and Jensen areas. Unfortunately, the area is looking at the driest 22 year period on record which leads to snowpack soaking into the ground instead of creating run off. This in turn has led Lake Powell and Lake Mead to be at historic lows. When water levels are low, it is not as efficient to generate power and the price goes up. For more information, check out uintahwater.org or call the office at 435-789-1651.
