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Show Jordan River would be incomplete without a discussion of the lake and its role in regulating the river. Utah Lake, a natural occurring lake, currently operates as a regulating reservoir for the Jordan River and all releases to downstream canals. In November 1992, the Division of Water Rights published the Interim Water Distribution Plan For the Utah Lake Drainage Basin to clarify the relationship between storage rights in Utah Lake and storage rights on the upstream tributaries. In that document, the division identified a need to manage the water rights on the Provo River, Spanish Fork River, Utah Lake, Jordan River and other sources in the basin as one system. The discussion here of the Interim Water Distribution Plan For the Utah Lake Drainage Basin is limited to how the plan regulates the releases of water from Utah Lake to the Jordan River and related canals. The interim plan identifies the water rights defined by the Morse decree ( 1901) as primary storage rights, and all subsequent rights established under applications to appropriate as secondary rights. The estimated average annual inflow to Utah Lake from surface and groundwater ( for the 50- year period of 1941- 1990) less agricultural and industrial uses is about 538,000 acre- feet. Of this, 308,000 acre- feet is discharged to the Jordan River and about 230,000 acre- feet is lost to net evaporation. The maximum legal storage elevation of the lake, called the Compromise Elevation, is 4,489.045. At this elevation, the lake's total storage capacity is approximately 870,000 acre- feet, of which 710,000 acre- feet is active storage and 160,000 acre- feet is inactive storage. Elevation 4480.345 is the point of demarcation between active and inactive storage. Water below that elevation cannot be taken from the lake. The first 125,000 acre- feet of active storage is referred to as primary storage. The balance of water stored in Utah Lake is called system storage. System storage water is used for primary and secondary water rights. Primary storage water is essentially held in reserve and dedicated solely for the use of the primary rights when all other active storage has been used. 7.3.2 New Water Rights Appropriations Because all surface and groundwater in the Jordan River Basin are considered to be fully appropriated, the potential for new water rights appropriations is extremely limited. Applications which have been previously approved may be developed and perfected in the future. There may even be limitations imposed upon these claims such as the Interim Groundwater Management Plan recently developed by the Division of Water Rights. There is concern the groundwater basin has already been over- appropriated. If on- going studies confirm this, the division will undoubtedly set into effect policies and procedures designed to bring the groundwater rights into balance with the safe groundwater yield. Water rights can be sold or purchased much like any other property right. The dollar value or worth of individual water rights varies greatly for the following reasons: 1) Reliability of the water source, 2) priority of the water right, 3) water quality; 4) availability of other water sources, and 5) the existing demand. Although it is true that water rights have significant value, they may be lost if left unused for a sufficiently long period of time. Any water right can be lost by five consecutive years of non- use. 7.4 Water Quality Control The quality of surface water is determined under standards for allowable contaminant levels according to the use designations. The use designations and the standards are published by the Utah Department of Environmental Quality in the Standards of Quality for Waters of the State. The Water Quality Board implements the regulations, policies and activities necessary to control water quality. This is carried out through the Division of Water Quality. 7.5 Drinking Water Regulations The Drinking Water Board is responsible for assuring a safe water supply for domestic culinary uses. It regulates any system defined as a public water supply. This may be publicly or privately owned. The Drinking Water Board has adopted State of Utah Public Drinking Water Regulations to help assure pure drinking water. The Drinking Water Board is empowered to adopt and enforce rules establishing standards prescribing maximum contaminant levels in public water systems. This authority is given by Title 26, Chapter 12, Section 5 of the Utah Code Annotated, 1953. The rules and regulations setting drinking water standards were adopted after public hearings. These standards govern bacteriologic quality, inorganic chemical quality, radiologic quality, organic quality and turbidity. Standards are also set for monitoring frequency and procedures. 7- 5 |