Public Meeting Concerning a Priority Call on the Virgin River

PUBLIC MEETING CONCERNING A PRIORITY CALL ON THE VIRGIN RIVER INCLUDING ALL ASSOCIATED TRIBUTARIES FROM THE HEADWATERS TO THE WASHINGTON FIELDS DIVERSION

Revised: August 8, 2014

What:	Public Meeting
Who:	Water Users on the Virgin River and Associated Tributaries Including: North Fork, North Creek, Ash Creek, La Verkin Creek, Quail Creek, Leeds Creek, Leap Creek, Toquerville Springs
When:	July 15, 2014, 6:00 p.m.
Where:	Washington County Water Conservancy District Offices 533 Waterworks Drive St. George, UT
Purpose:	With this notice, the State Engineer initiated a priority call on the Virgin River including all associated tributaries from the headwaters to the Washington Fields diversion which is the user which initiated the call. This letter was sent to notify water users of the action and requests your cooperation during this extraordinary period.

Due to extremely dry conditions over the last three years, the Virgin River and associated tributaries are experiencing significantly diminished flows. Utah law provides that appropriators have priority among themselves according to the dates of their respective appropriations, so that each appropriator is entitled to receive the appropriator's whole supply before any subsequent appropriator has any right (Utah Code Section 73-3-21.1(2)). The state engineer routinely operates distribution systems, including one on the Virgin River where a river commissioner maintains records and distributes water among the appropriators in accordance with their respective rights to carry out purposes of the statute. Typically distributing water among the users on the main stem of the Virgin River has been adequate to accomplish priority distribution objectives, so the system does not include tributaries named in this letter. However, current circumstances have caused senior appropriators on the main stem of the Virgin to question if they are being impaired by junior users on unregulated tributaries and they are now calling for all water which is tributary to the Virgin River to be regulated by priority. This is an extraordinary action which will require an immediate response to be effective.

The following information is currently available related to the meeting:

State Engineer's Notice, with background information and priority lists for each affected river tributary
Meeting handout
Schematic diagram of areas under the priority call.
Priority Schedule spreadsheet - Microsoft Excel format

If you would like to provide input, please send your written comments to:
Division of Water Rights
1594 West North Temple, Ste. 220
P.O. Box 146300
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6300
(801) 538-7370

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