Appropriation Policy Escalante River Drainage
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Transcript of Appropriation Policy Escalante River Drainage
Appropriation PolicyEscalante River Drainage
Kurt VestRegional Engineer
Division of Water Rights
Prior Appropriation DoctrineMain Features
• Divert water to beneficial use.• Priority date.• First in time, first in right.• Loss of right.
Basic Definitions
• All water in the state is property of the public (73-1-1).
• Beneficial use shall be the basis, the measure, and the limit of all rights to the use of water in the state (73-1-3).
Establishing a Water Right
• Diligence Claim.– Surface water uses prior to 1903.
• Underground Water Claim.– Ground-water uses prior to 1935.
• Court Decreed.• Applications to Appropriate filed with
State Engineer.
Approval Criteria (73-3-8)
• Unappropriated water in source.• Will not impair existing rights.• Physically and economically feasible.• Not monopolistic / speculation.• In the public interest / welfare.• Will not unreasonably effect the natural
stream environment or public recreation.
WaterAppropriation
Policy
Appropriation Policy
• Colorado River Policy (March 7, 1990) • Domestic filings,
– One Family– Irrigation of 1/4 acre, – 10 heads of livestock (1.73 acre-feet), – Equivalent amount for other uses
• Closed area (surrounding Escalante Town)
The only restriction in the 97-area has been to exclude that
portion described as “the developed agricultural areas where applications are being
held”.
On January 25, 1996, a memorandum was issued
specifying the boundary of that excluded area.
Closed Area
Hydrology• Recharge
– Precipitation– Runoff– Return flow from
irrigation• Discharge–Evapotranspiration
–Underflow
–Springs
–Seepage to Rivers
–Wells
Studies
• 1969 (Goode) Reconnaissance Appraisal of Water Resources near Escalante
• 1976 (DWRe) Hydrologic Inventory of the Escalante River Basin
• 1986 (Blanchard) Ground-Water Conditions in the Kaiparowits Plateau Area
Area
Geologic Cross Section
Navajo Sandstone
Carmel FormationEntrada SandstoneAlluvium
(Goode 1969)
Escalante Local 1
TownRiver
Escalante Local 2
TownRiverMoratorium Boundary
Escalante Local 3
TownRiverMoratorium Boundary
Hydrographic Boundary
Escalante Local 4
TownRiverMoratorium Boundary
Hydrographic Boundary
Escalante Local 5Surface Points of Diversion
Underground Points of Diversion
TownRiverMoratorium Boundary
Hydrographic Boundary
Water Right Information
Area Point of Diversion Source
Surface & Underground 719 22,192 13,144
Underground 73 1,449 629
Surface & Underground 130 2,955 1,590
Underground 37 530 224
Diversion (acft) Depletion (acft)
Hydrographic Drainage
Escalante Moratorium
Num. Water Rights
Thank YouComments – July 31th
Utah Division of Water Rights
PO Box 146300
Salt Lake City UT 84114-6300
www.waterrights.utah.gov