Snake Valley water deal stalled for this year

Salt Lake Tribune

A court ruling, and the inaction of Nevada lawmakers, means any agreement on Snake Valley water won’t happen until at least 2011, according to Mike Styler, executive director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources.

During a session of the Utah Water Users Workshop, Styler said the Nevada Legislature did not take significant action last month on a Nevada Supreme Court decision that called into question the rights concerning the water resource beneath areas of western Utah and eastern Nevada.
In a shared water agreement with Utah, the Southern Nevada Water Authority has proposed pumping water from the aquifer 300 miles south to satisfy the growing needs of Las Vegas.
Utah water users are concerned the proposal could have a negative impact on their water rights and air quality from dust that could result as areas become more parched.

Styler took his audience through a history of the proposed agreement that began in 1989. The Nevada court decision was significant because a lower court must now decide if Nevada state engineer Tracy Taylor “violated his statutory duty” when he failed to make a decision by 1991 on 34 applications by the Southern Nevada Water Authority for rights to water in aquifers under three Nevada valleys.

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When can Utahns get cash for appliances?

KSL.com

Interest in the program has been growing since it was announced.

Best Buy sales supervisor Thomas Guzman says, “Customers are coming in wanting to know what qualifies, what does not qualify and what the dollar amount is on the actual rebate itself.”

Guzman says Best Buy has an idea of which products will qualify for the state rebate, but it’s waiting on an official list from the state.

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RELATED LINKS
Utah Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program
Rebates for ENERGY STAR appliances
Energy Savers website

An outdoor fair for kids

repost from Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

Sandy—Kids can catch fish, learn about predators and find out how to ride an ATV safely at this year’s DNR Youth Outdoor Sports Fair.

The sports fair is part of the upcoming International Sportsmen’s Exposition.

The expo will be held March 18 to March 21,2010 at the South Towne Exposition Center, 9575 S. State in Sandy. The cost to attend the exposition, which includes the youth fair, is $12 for adults. Kids 15 years of age or younger can attend for free.

The Youth Outdoor Sports Fair will be held at the south end of the exposition center. Six divisions will host activities: Forestry, Fire and State Lands; Oil, Gas and Mining; Parks and Recreation; the Utah Geological Survey; Water Resources; and Wildlife Resources.

More than 20 activities await children who attend the fair. Among the things kids can do:

  • Catch trout in a fishing pond.
  • Make a survival kit.
  • Tie fishing flies.
  • See how big they are compared to a deer, an elk or a moose!
  • Learn how to stay safe in black bear country.
  • Learn about dinosaurs.
  • Learn about Utah’s rocks.
  • Learn how to boat safely.
  • Learn how to conserve water.
  • Learn about a future career with the DNR.

“We want to get children excited about the outdoors,” says Mike Styler, executive director of the Department of Natural Resources. “We also want to teach them skills that will make their next trip into the outdoors safe and enjoyable.”

More information about the International Sportsmen’s Exposition is available at www.sportsexpos.com.

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A CLOSE CALL IN ROCKVILLE

The Utah Geological Survey (UGS) was notified of a large rock fall in Rockville, Utah Wednesday morning that damaged several buildings.  Geologists say it could have been much worse and are worried about the possibility of second boulder breaking loose.

Around 7:30 a.m., a boulder estimated to be 35-feet by 30-feet by 30-feet broke loose and rolled down a hill toward the home that Tamara Burton was renting.

Tyler Knudsen and Bob Blackett, UGS geologists, were asked by Rockville Mayor Alan Brown to investigate what happened.  According to air photos, the boulder had been there for at least four years after detaching from a ledge and sliding about 20 feet and coming to a rest on a 45-degree slope above Burton’s home.

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GEOTHERMAL ENERGY PROVES POWERFUL

Universe

In a new publication from the Utah Geological Survey, Utah’s numerous energy sources are outlined and explained. Geothermal energy is an up and coming energy source gaining more national attention.

Utah is one of six states that have begun harnessing the power of vast geothermal energy reserves for benefit, according to the UGS’s Utah Energy Landscape portfolio. Raser Technologies has three geothermal energy projects in the works for southern Utah, and more companies are looking into building plants.

Though the plants are producing significant amounts of energy, Utah is not abandoning its other sources for energy.

“I don’t really think it’s a switch. It’s more of a mix,” said geologist for the state of Utah, Michael Vanden Berg.

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Utah’s Energy Landscape

LANDSLIDE STATUS STIRS DEBATE

The Spectrum

Hours of debate regarding the Green Hollow Landslide and the proposed Capo Di Monte subdivision on Cedar Mountain took place at the Iron County Planning Commission meeting Thursday, with no decisions made as of press time.

At the meeting the commission heard the recommendation of Utah Geological Survey Geologist Bill Lund.

Lund recommended that further study by expert engineers take place before further development be allowed to continue on one of the largest landslides in the state. The study will determine whether more development and water saturation in the area could cause the landslide to reactivate.

Lund also told the planning commission that several smaller landslides on the mountain had been activated since the Cedar Highlands subdivision was completed. Conclusions were based on the original studies in 1981, which stated that the landslide was inactive.

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PUNY FOSSIL FIND IS BIG TO SCIENCE

Salt Lake Tribune

Jeff and Denise Roberts love to roam the hills south of Richfield, sleuthing for fossils and ancient artifacts. During one of those trips several years ago, the couple found fossilized jaw bones so small they can sit on a penny.
The significance of those puny jaws outweighs their size: Paleontologists say they shed light on an era in Utah 8 million years ago that has produced few fossils, unlike the huge dinosaur bones from earlier periods that have made the state a paleontology treasure trove.
The Roberts reported their find to state experts, who determined the fossils came from two heretofore unknown species of rodents related to modern deer and pocket mice. In their honor, the species related to the deer mouse was named Basirepomys robertsi , while the other species was named Metaliomys sevierensis for the formation in Sevier County where the fossils were found.

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COUNTY TO WEIGH IN ON SUBDIVISION

The Spectrum

In light of the proposed Capo Di Monte subdivision on Cedar Mountain, the issue of the west facing side being declared a landslide, one of the largest in the state, is up for debate at Thursday’s Iron County Planning Commission meeting.

The Cedar Highlands subdivision exists on the mountain and has activated two of the smaller landslides since comprehensive studies were completed in 1981, which found the larger landslide to be inactive.

Bill Lund, Utah Geological Survey geologist, said based on his findings he would recommend that more research be done on the mountain before making any decisions to approve further development.

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UTAH GEOLOGIST HONORED FOR LIFETIME'S WORK

Fox 13

A Utah geologist was recognized for keeping Utahns safe. Geologist William Lund ate, slept, and studied fault lines and earthquakes for a number of years for the Utah Geological Survey, which has studied and investigated geologic hazards in Utah for more than 40 years. “I’m very honored and surprised, I had no idea, but it’s truly an honor and I’m happy,” Lund said.

Lund said he has spent a good part of his career trying to characterize past big earthquakes and figure out what might happen in the future.

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WATER QUALITY QUESTION IN SCOFIELD PLAN

Sun Advocate

With the Scofield Pleasant Valley Plan going before the county commission for final approval later this year, new development regulations will likely come into effect. However, throughout the approval process, many questions arose concerning the water quality in Scofield reservoir, because it supplies most of the county’s drinking water. While many questions were answered, a few remained unresolved. Now Carbon County and the Utah Division of Water Quality (DWQ) are considering conducting an extensive ground water study in the Pleasant Valley area. Although funding is not yet secured, most personnel who are involved with the project are confident that an agreement between the county and the state can be arranged.

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