Jordan River Basin Planning for the Future
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JORDAN RIVER BASIN PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE June 2010 By: Utah Division of Water Resources With input from the State Water Plan Coordinating Committee (see inside-back cover for participating agencies) U T A H S T A T E W A T E R P L A N This document and other State water plans are available online at: www.water.utah.gov Table of Contents DRAFT - Date ii DRAFT - Date Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Board of Water Resources acknowledges the following staff members of the Utah Division of Water Resources for their dedication and valuable contribution to this document: Dennis Strong - Director Eric Millis - Deputy Director Todd Adams - Assistant Director Todd Stonely - Section Chief, River Basin Planning Ken Short - Senior Engineer, River Basin Planning (Project Manager/Primary Author) Russ Barrus - Senior Engineer Mike Suflita - Senior Engineer Eric Klotz - Section Chief, Water Conservation, Education and Use Dave Cole - Section Chief, Hydrology and Computer Applications Eric Edgley - Section Chief, Technical Services The Board also extends its gratitude to members of the Utah State Water Plan Coordinating Committee and the Jordan River Basin Planning Advisory Group, who helped review the document for accuracy, provided insight and data, or otherwise lent their support. Many of these people provided the Division with valuable written and oral comments, all of which have been carefully considered and incorporated where possible. Without all these contributions, this product would not be the comprehensive guide it is intended to be. Craig E. Johansen, Chair Robert D. Bessey, Vice Chair Paul McPherson N. Gawain Snow Blair R. Francis Harold Shirley David S. Humphreys Joseph “Stew” Paulick iii Table of Contents DRAFT - Date iv DRAFT - Date Table of Contents PREFACE One of the major responsibilities of the Utah Division of Water Resources is comprehensive water planning. Over the past two decades, the Division has prepared a series of documents under the title "Utah State Water Plan." This includes two statewide water plans and an individual water plan for each of the State’s eleven major hydrologic river basins. Preparing these plans involves several major data collection programs as well as extensive inter-agency and public outreach efforts. Much is learned through this process. State, local, and federal water planners and managers obtain valuable information for use in their programs and activities, and the public receives the opportunity to provide meaningful input in improving the state’s water resources stewardship. This document is the latest in the "Utah State Water Plan" series and is intended to guide and direct water- related planning and management in the Jordan River Basin over the next several years. It summarizes key data obtained through the previous water planning documents, introduces new data where available, and addresses issues of importance to all future water planning efforts. Where possible, it identifies water use trends and makes projections of water use. The document also explores various means of meeting future water demands and identifies important issues that need to be considered when making water-related decisions. Water managers and planners within the Basin will find the data, insights and direction provided by this document valuable in their efforts. The general public will discover many useful facts and information helpful in understanding the Basin’s water resources. Included in this Jordan River Basin Plan are real-life examples highlighted in the text, sidebars and photographs. Although the use of technical words is avoided wherever possible, an extensive glossary illuminates exact usage of terminology that may be unfamiliar to the reader. In addition to the printed form of this document, the Utah Division of Water Resources has made a “pdf” version available on the Internet. This can be accessed through the Division’s home page at: www.water.utah.gov. This web page allows this document and other water planning documents to be viewed by the largest audience possible, thus facilitating better planning and management at the state and local level. It also provides a convenient mode for readers to provide comment and feedback to the Division regarding its water planning efforts. v Table of Contents DRAFT - Date vi DRAFT - Date Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................................................... iii PREFACE............................................................................................................................................................v TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................. vii LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................................ix LIST OF TABLES...............................................................................................................................................x SIDEBARS .........................................................................................................................................................xi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................. xiii Chapter Page 1 INTRODUCTION: WATERS OF THE JORDAN RIVER BASIN.............................................................1 Future Vision..........................................................................................................................................1 Purpose of this Plan ................................................................................................................................3 Description of Basin...............................................................................................................................3 Drainage Area and Topography .......................................................................................................3 Physiography and Geology..............................................................................................................3 Soils and Vegetation.........................................................................................................................4 Significance of Water Resources to the Basin........................................................................................4 Brief History of Water Planning and Development................................................................................5 The Pioneer Period (1847-1880) ......................................................................................................5 The Growth and Expansion of Salt Lake City (1881-1929).............................................................5 Federal Projects and Local Water Districts (1930-Present) .............................................................6 The Impacts of Settlement, Industry and Water Development on the Jordan River Ecosystem......7 State Water Planning: Fulfilling a Stewardship......................................................................................7 1997 Jordan River Basin Plan..........................................................................................................8 The 2001 Utah State Water Plan ......................................................................................................8 The Current Plan..............................................................................................................................8 2 WATER SUPPLY ................................................................................................................................11 Climatological Influences...............................................................................................................11 Available Water Supply .................................................................................................................13 Surface Water..........................................................................................................................14 Ground Water..........................................................................................................................16 Imported Water........................................................................................................................19 Total Available Supply ............................................................................................................20 Variability of Supply......................................................................................................................20 Drought ....................................................................................................................................22 Developed Supply ..........................................................................................................................23 Water Rights...................................................................................................................................26 3 POPULATION AND WATER USE TRENDS AND PROJECTIONS...............................................29 A Promising Era of Growth and Prosperity ...................................................................................29 Population Trends and Projections.................................................................................................29