Cedar/Beaver Basin
(May 2007)

Beaver City Water System - Beaver County

Snow Pack / Precipitation
The Cedar / Beaver basin had a good water year in 2006.  This year with the exceptions of October and December, precipitation and snow pack have been below normal and, due to early warm weather, virtually all the snow pack has melted a month early.  The May 1 snow water equivalent (SWE-- the amount of moisture stored as snow) for the Beaver River watershed is near 70% of normal, while the watersheds at the southern end of the basin for Coal Creek near Cedar City, for Pinto Creek feeding Newcastle Reservoir, and the streams feeding the Enterprise Reservoirs, all are around 18% of normal.  Late April and early May storms have added considerably to year-to-date precipitation levels but they are still (as of May 1) at approximately 70% of normal basin-wide.

Surface Water
Streams  -- Most of the surface water that collects in the basin’s streams and rivers is used for agriculture. A portion of this water provides recharge to the aquifers underlying area alluvial fans and porous stream beds, but that amount is declining as new development covers over recharge areas. 

The Beaver River, regulated by small upstream dams, and the largest basin stream, is running slightly lower than normal this spring.  Because of early snow melt, the un-regulated stream flow of Coal Creek is correspondingly running around 30% of normal.  Last year the Beaver River delivered 32,570 ac-ft of its 37,690 ac-ft avg. (1915 to 2006 average).  Coal Creek delivered 29,830 ac-ft, 5,000 ac-ft above its 24,680 ac-ft avg. (1939 to 2006 average).  This year supplies from the basin streams will probably be much less than average years unless summer precipitation is greater than normal years.
Coal Creek, the second largest supplier for the basin (but serves the largest basin population), currently has no storage reservoir and unused flows that reach Quichapa Lake primarily evaporate. 
Reservoirs -- Basin reservoir storage is around 60% of the April 1 average.  Last year Minersville (26,500 ac-ft capacity), Newcastle (3,839 ac-ft capacity) and Upper Enterprise (9,850 ac-ft capacity) reservoirs were filled by April 1.   With the exception of Upper and Lower Enterprise Reservoirs all basin reservoirs are filling and are expected to come close to full.  Upper Enterprise will be drained this spring for repair and seismic upgrade.  Lower Enterprise (1,672 ac-ft capacity) is currently full, having taken much of the water that would normally remain in the upper reservoir.

Soil Moisture
Good news for the basin is that surface soil moisture as of May 1, while below the 2005 levels of 70% saturation, are about the same as the 2006 level of 60%. 

Ground Water
Ground water levels have experienced long-term declines in all areas of the Cedar / Beaver Basin since the 1940’s with the possible exception of the aquifer underlying Beaver City.  Declines in the aquifer underlying the Beryl-Enterprise area are amongst the greatest in the state, some approaching 110 feet.  Declines are also approaching 70 feet in the Parowan Valley, 60 feet in the  Milford area, and 50 feet in some areas of the Cedar Valley. 

During the last drought the basin’s municipalities experienced occasional problems with wells sucking sand –which often indicate low water levels, usually in late summer or when the combined effects of low recharge and heavy pumping occur.  During the last drought period most of the problem wells were lowered or others brought on line to solve these shortages.  As demands on area well increase these problems could surface again.

Beryl / Enterprise Ground Water Management Plan
As of January 2007, new legislation directs the State Engineer to limit ground water withdrawals in Utah to “Safe Yield” by developing ground Water Management plans for aquifers that are in decline.  It has always been state policy not to exceed long term average recharge values, yet for various reasons water rights were over- allocated and the State Engineer was limited in enforcement.  The State Engineer in now charged with cutting back withdrawals in several ground water basins.  Although eleven ground water management plans existed prior to the new legislation and will be retained, the Beryl / Enterprise ground water management plan will be the first developed under the new legislation.  The first public meetings were held on March 13, 2007.  It is estimated that the plan will take up to two years to develop.  The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for May or June 2007.  Meeting notes and announcements can be found on the water rights website at; 

"http://www.waterrights.utah.gov/meetinfo/m20071303/default.htm"