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Show LOWER COLORADO RIVER DISTRICT The search for methods of conserving the precious water resource in Utah's Dixie in the Lower Colorado River District has continued since the first pioneers pushed their way south to that region of the State. The Board of Water Resources has participated in that search in cooperation with many of the area's water companies. Pioneers devised imaginative and daring schemes to get water to their crop lands. More recently, these projects have been recipients of technological improvements resulting in conservation of near optimum amounts of water. One is the St. George and Washington Canal where the entire length has been lined with concrete. Renovation of the diversion and desilting structure remains to complete the project. The canal delivers water to some of the State's most productive lands, most of which produce two crops a year. Another is the Ivins Irrigation Company Canal conveying water from the Santa Clara River along a hillside through an Indian Reservation to Ivins. An exchange has been worked out to give the community a better supply for crops and some irrigation of residential flower and vegetable gardens. Improvement of privately owned culinary water company systems hasn't been overlooked in Washington County. A pair of examples are Leeds and Rockville where new storage tanks have been built, wells drilled and transmission pipelines installed to help the communities keep pace with the growth of the region. The Board has contributed nearly half of the $ 4 million investment in Washington County. That conserves on the average of 37,000 acre- feet of water a year to supplement supplies for 37,000 acres and provide a firm supply to bring irrigation to another 1,000 acres for the first time. - 28 - |