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Area Watershed Dams Reeling From Recent Heavy Storms
Salt Lake City, UT, January 19, 2005 – Officials from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) are expressing concern that recent heavy rain and flooding in Washington and Iron Counties may compromise the long term integrity of some of the watershed containment structures originally designed by the agency for flood protection. “While the Baker Reservoir and other debris basins fed by Santa Clara Creek have handled the extreme pressure, as they were designed, their maintenance and monitoring should be an important concern to the sponsors of those structures and everyone in the downstream community,” said Vane Campbell, NRCS area conservationist, responsible for federal private land conservation efforts in southwestern Utah. Campbell said the potential for dam failure and flooding of downstream property increases with the age of these structures. For example, the Baker Reservoir on Santa Clara Creek was built in 1950 and was designed for a 50-year life span by the agency. While NRCS is not inferring any imminent public danger from any of these structures, officials are working with state dam safety engineers and other partners to bring greater public attention to any rehabilitation needs for these ageing structures. Congress, under the Watershed Rehabilitation Amendments of 2000, has funded some work nationwide, but more is needed. NRCS is working with the state’s congressional delegation to obtain funds under the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program for the emergency-designated areas in southwestern Utah. This federal program provides technical assistance to landowners and communities to help protect lives, land and property from future flooding. EWP funds are issued on a case by case basis and can include such activity as removing debris from stream channels, road culverts, and bridges; reshaping and protecting eroded banks; correcting damaged drainage facilities; and reseeding damaged areas. NRCS is also working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other conservation partners to bring assistance to the disaster victims. Over the years, 91 watershed structures have been built across the state through USDA watershed programs. Local units of government, serving as project sponsors, assume operation and maintenance responsibility for the dams after they are built. While the dams provide multiple benefits such as sediment reduction, recreation, wildlife habitat, and sources for irrigation, they are primarily designed for flood protection of private land and property in the watershed. “With drought fresh on our minds, the temptation is to allow these reservoirs to fill up,” said Campbell. “However, the most prudent action may be to gradually lower the water level following a flooding event, allowing opportunity for future emergency watershed protection.” With increased snow packs, an early warming trend could result in other flooding events across the state. NRCS, which manages a network of Snotel monitoring stations, said all of the basins in the state have much above average snow water equivalent ranging from 137 percent of normal on the Price-San Rafael drainage to 322 percent of normal on the Virgin River. The flooding, mainly driven by precipitation in southwestern Utah, is indicative of the saturated state of the soil and record rainfall. The high elevation snowpack is still on the mountains with greater-than-ever measurements for this time of year—which portends of heavy runoff when snowmelt commences in the spring. Less than half way into our snow season, the snowpack on the Virgin and Escalante River is already in excess of the normal peak for the year. The Natural Resources Conservation Service provides leadership and technical assistance in a partnership effort to help people conserve, maintain, and improve natural resources and the environment on private working lands. NOTE: The following contacts and links may help with news coverage of this and any future flooding events in Utah. Small watershed dam structures and condition: Emergency Watershed Protection program: Snow Survey program and data: NRCS chief spokesperson and media assistance:
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