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Show SEVIER RIVER One of the greatest concentrations of sprinkler irrigation systems in Utah is located in the Fremont Valley of Wayne County. Dating back nearly 25 years to the early days of the Utah Water and Power Board, sprinkler irrigation has marched along the banks of the Fremont River through Wayne County like a conquering army of locusts. Hardly any irrigation company stood in the path of this more efficient use of water to wet more acres and virtually eliminate erosion which plagued many growers in the area where flooding previously was the only means of irrigation available. Sevier County also is the site of sprinkler system development, but use there is not so extensive. Improvement of culinary water systems in both counties is another important function of the Board of Water Resources. Water conservation in the past 30 years - 18 DISTRIC T costing nearly $ 3 million has been financed with assistance from the Board. This has produced a water savings of almost 20,000 acre- feet, including that conveyed in the culinary systems the Board has helped build. Cooperation of the Board and irrigation companies has brought supplemental water to 16,936 acres and brought 1,913 new acres under cultivation. The expenditure in Sevier County amounts to $ 1.5 million to develop 4,785 acre- feet of water used to provide supplemental water to 12,500 acres and allow water to be put on another 1,125 acres for the first time. Although Wayne County is drained by the Fremont River, it is grouped in the Sevier District for regional planning purposes. That is a factor in its inclusion in the Sevier River District for administrative purposes by the Board. |