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Show " F) Provide legislative and public education support for present and future stream and river corridor projects and programs, and encourage continuing review of new developments and considerations of innovative practices in technological, legal and administrative aspects of watershed management. The service areas and the total irrigated acreage of 49,331 acres represents the water rights held by the 26 companies, not the actual acres irrigated. The 1994 water- related land use survey of the basin identified only 25,300 acres of irrigated lands. The current trend of reduced irrigated acreage is discussed in greater detail in Section 10. 6.3.2 Agricultural Water Management Incorporated mutual irrigation companies serve the majority of irrigated land in the county. The Division of Water Right's List of Water Companies in Utah identifies 164 irrigation companies serving the Jordan River Basin. Only 26 of these companies are listed as having service areas exceeding 250 acres. Table 6- 3 lists the largest irrigation companies and the acreage served along the Jordan River and contributory watersheds relating to water quality and pollution control, flood control, parkway and other developments, wildlife habitat and wetlands conservation, and proposed plans to effectively manage and regulate these activities. 6.3.3 Management of Municipal and Industrial Water Systems If a drinking water system serves at least 15 connections, or 25 people at least 60 days per year, it is defined by law as a " public water supply." By this definition, Salt Lake County has at least 78 public drinking water systems. Many of these systems, however, are campground facilities, restaurants, or other similarly localized systems with a relatively small number of hookups and limited clientele. The vast majority of drinking water supplies come from 32 approved community drinking water systems. Although each of these 32 systems has its own independent water sources, many are reliant, at least in part, upon water purchases from one of the two largest wholesale suppliers: Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County Water Conservancy District. A list of public water suppliers can be found in Table 11- 1. Drinking water issues, including a more detailed analysis of the management of the area's public water supplies, and a description of the Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County Water Conservancy District are included in Section 11, Drinking Water. Some of the light industries use water delivered through the public water systems. It has been estimated about 5 percent of the public water supply is used for industrial purposes. Most of the industrial water use, however, is self- supplied from privately held water rights, primarily wells. See Section 18 for more detailed information on industrial water use. 6.3.4 Developed Wetlands Management The Jordan River Basin has an extensive system of developed wetlands which are intensively managed to promote desired waterfowl species and discourage the less desired species. Surface gradients in the developed wetlands are so shallow that a one- inch change in water level can shift pond shorelines hundreds of yards. Because of the land's shallow gradient and because controlling water elevation is the primary means of managing vegetative growth, these wetlands have extensive and precise water control systems. One 3,346- acre duck club has 18 managed water levels, 88 water control structures, over 18 miles of channels and 21 miles of dikes. Precise water control is also necessary to prevent botulism ( which can kill tens of thousands of birds), minimize pond siltation, and control carp and other pests. Some developed wetlands systems allow necessary managed drying of units with minimal effect on surrounding units. Interconnecting systems allow cooperative transport, transfer and reuse of water between entities. 6.3.5 Watershed Management The mountain streams flowing from the Wasatch Range are a primary source of municipal and industrial water. These streams were among the very first sources of water put to beneficial use by the pioneers in the 1840s and 1850s. Initially these streams were used for irrigation, but they were later changed to culinary use through a series of exchanges. Today these streams and their watersheds are managed primarily for municipal water with limited hydropower. Two documents promote proper management of these sensitive areas. They are: the Salt Lake City Watershed Management Plan and the Salt Lake County Wasatch Canyons Master Plan. 6- 4 |