1-University of Utah is paying $812 per acre-foot for water.  Over a 4 month period in 2008, U of U was billed over $2 million for water/sewer.  SLC proposes 4 more 4% rate increases.  If Utah law were tweak, the U of U could buy water directly from Jordan Valley for $420 per acre-foot or Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake & Sandy for $205 per acre-foot.  Granted, a pipe would be needed, but the annual savings would be tremendous.

SLC buys water from MWD Salt Lake & Sandy for $205, then marks it up to $812 per acre-foot for piping it to the U of U.  SLC’s “no profit” spin is not credible.

The U of U uses only 3,000 acre-feet per year.  The high cost of water has left historically green areas brown.  How does high water rates used to fund exotic distant “watershed protection”  lands benefit local watershed? The browning of local watershed to control distant watershed is hypocritical.

2-Salt Lake City and the CUP contend over control of 21.5 mile easement on Murdock Canal in North Utah County.

3-South Nevada Water Authority seeking to pump 40,000 acre-feet of water on Utah border.  Utah drills 12 2-inch wells to monitor water levels.

4-Bear River’s 275,000 acre-feet of non-appropriated water, possibly the last water available for use along the Wasatch Front.

5. Strawberry Water Users Association sues Federal Government (BOR) to water title.

Court rules legal title is held by Federal Government.  Use title is held by Strawberry.  BOR’s signature required to file change applications. Case on appeal to 10th Circuit.

Re-use adjudication ordered by Utah Supreme Court and remanded to 3rd District Court.  10,074 Water User Claim forms mailed out by Strawberry Water Users Association lawyers.  Court to confirm or overturn foreign water doctrine which may adversely impact CUP, PRWUA current use of foreign return flows.

The amount of water in dispute is approximately 15,000 to 31,000 which could be reduced to just 7,500 to 15,000 acre-feet due to evaporative loss in Utah lake.

The Court is yet to decide who would use any “return flow water” granted–BOR or Strawberry.  Strawberry may end up footing the bill only to see BOR use the water.  BOR may foot the legal bills only to see foreign return flow doctrine overturned.

This case is  loser for all parties.