By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Juab County Commissioners have not given up on the
delivery of water to the county from the Central Utah Water
Conservancy District.
Not only that, but they intend to follow all legal
means possible to make certain water is delivered to the
county.
As a result of that determination, commissioners
directed Jared Eldridge, Juab County Attorney, to write a
letter to the district.
In the letter, commissioners requested an update from
the district detailing the efforts taken since April 19,
2002 to deliver water to Juab County and a detailed
explanation clearly setting out the course of action the
district plans to take to make certain water does come to
the county.
The letter should have arrived at the district office
in Orem a few days after last Monday's (Nov. 3) commission
meeting.
"We do not want to publish the request prior to
allowing the letter to be received by the board, just out of
courtesy," said Wm. Boyd Howarth, commission chair at the
meeting on Nov. 3.
A copy was also sent to Ross Garrett, the county's
representative on the board.
"I went to Washington D.C.," said Howarth, "and made a
statement at the legislative hearing before the subcommittee
on water and power in 2002."
In 2002, the district sought to petition the United
States Congress to amend the Central Utah Project Completion
Act.
The amendment would allow the district to divert
C.U.P. Water originally intended to benefit southern Utah
County and Eastern Juab County and to send that water to
benefit several communities in northern Utah.
In early 2002, the district solicited comment on the
proposed amendment.
"In response to the district's request for comment,
Juab County, through its attorney, David O. Leavitt, wrote a
letter on behalf of the county commissioners stating Juab
County's position with respect to the proposed amendment,"
said Eldridge.
The letter, written by Leavitt, emphatically declared
Juab county's opposition to the proposed amendment and
stated the county commission's grave concern that the
passage of the amendment would destroy any chance Juab
county had to receive C.U.P. Water.
The letter also detailed Juab county's dutiful
performance of all obligations required of the county by the
district in order to receive the benefit of C.U.P.
Water.
"Finally, the letter made clear that C.U.P. water was
of such critical importance to Juab county that the county
would avail itself of any and all remedies in order to
assure the water the citizens of Juab County have long
expected and continually paid for through a tax levy since
1965, ultimately arrived in our county as agreed," Eldridge
wrote in the letter.
Following this letter of comment to the district, the
district sought Juab County's support for the proposed
amendment.
The district engaged in discussion with Juab County
officials and ultimately arrived at an agreement dated April
19, 2002, that was signed by Howarth, commission chair, and
Don Christiansen, General Manager of the Central Utah Water
Conservancy District, said Eldridge.
The agreement was ratified by the Board of Trustees of
the Central Utah Water Conservancy District on April 24,
2002.
In the agreement, it was stated that Juab county
agreed to support H.R. 4129 provided the district agree to
use its best efforts to ensure new water be delivered to
Juab County.
In keeping with the county's history of honoring
commitments, the county sent a delegation to Washington,
D.C. to support H.R. 4129 and Howarth, at that time,
testified before the congressional subcommittee in support
of the bill.
Howarth testified that the county was agreeing "even
though it has the potential to devastate Juab county's
ability to receive water from the Central Utah Water
Project."
H.R. 4129 was approved by the House of Representatives
and the Senate and was signed into law on Dec. 19, 2002 by
President George W. Bush.
Once again, said Eldridge, the county upheld its end
of the bargain with the district.
However, the district also agreed to use its best
efforts to ensure new water is delivered to the county.
"The citizens of Juab county are honorable and hard
working people who recognize the vital importance of water
to the development of our county," said Eldridge.
"In 1965, the citizens of Juab county had the
foresight to take steps to assure and adequate water
supply."
In taking those steps, he said, the citizens of the
county became charter members of the district. In fact, out
representative, R. Roscoe Garrett, has been a board member
since its inception.
In becoming charter members of the district, the
citizens of the county placed their trust in the district to
honor its obligation to bring new water t o the county.
The citizens of the county continue to place their
confidence and trust in the district to honor past promises
and the 2002 agreement made with the county.
"In order to assure adequate water resources are
available to support Juab County's inevitable growth, we are
exploring all available options to secure that water," said
Eldridge.
"In order to effectively evaluate our options we need
input from the district."
The county, therefore, requested that the district
respond in writing and answer the questions the commission
has so that future planning and the recourses open to gain
compliance may be considered.
"This information is vital to our planning and will be
greatly appreciated," he wrote.
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