By Lisa Rose

March 2, 2007 | NEWTON -- Even Newton, with a dam in its back yard, still faces water problems. Town Council discussed two of these water issues Thursday night. One issue faces the town now, but another will affect it in two decades.

After discussing the ordinance that requires a secondary water share from Newton Dam to obtain a building permit, the council made no changes.

Citizens have called the ordinance unfair because it requires them to have a water share that the town doesn't sell and are not easy to come by, said Gene Dayley, a planning and zoning commission member sitting in the audience.

As a solution, the council has tossed around the idea for the town to purchase water shares and lease them out. However, no plans were solidified in the meeting. Even without this option, the ordinance will still stand.

Mayor Clair Christiansen said the need for the ordinance exists to protect the rights of the people and the lots that have been in Newton for a long time.

"It's not the responsibility of the town [to sell secondary water shares], nor has it ever been in the towns history," said Christiansen. "We don't promise if you come to Newton that you will get [secondary] water."

The No. 1 priority of the town is to provide drinking water, not secondary water, he said.

Prior to this, town council listened to a presentation about the water shortage that Cache Valley will face when population grows.

Evan Olsen, appointed by the county council to research the issue, gave his presentation to the council, the 12th in a series of council visits. Olsen is on a mission to answer questions and receive feedback from 25-30 different groups before May 1st when he will present his findings to the county council.

"At some point, I believe our population will outstrip our water supply," Olsen said. "I have identified five major droughts [since 1915]. It's just an indication we will have another."

The possibility of another drought comes simultaneous to an expectation for the population of Cache Valley to double in the next 20 years. A conservative estimate, of the rise from 107,000 people, is 210,000 people by 2030 in Cache Valley. With this increase in population, the valley will need more water, he said.

Cache Valley has been allocated 60,000 acre/feet of water from the Bear River. Olsen asked for a written recommendation within two weeks from Newton Town Council. The council is to formulate ideas about how to store, use, and divide the water.

"I don't have all the answers, you do," he said.

"This is an effort to alert you that things are changing, that the population is coming," he said. "Its better to sit down and plan than get involved in lawsuits, and some are already started."

After Olsen left, the council discussed the benefits and impacts that this would have for Newton.

"If you do the math according to percentage, we are going to get 10 gallons [of additional water]," Christiansen said sarcastically and then laughed. "But water is still water. It will take the pressure off of us somewhat."

MS
MS