Monticello City Council Reviews Water Plans

While water intake in Monticello is still down, according to City Public Works Supervisor Nathan Langston, it is keeping up with what is being used currently in the city.

Langston reported to the City Council on November 13 that Loyds Lake is at the lowest level it’s been at since the last drought.

The city water department is working on a proposal to the water conservancy district to get all the commercial and large users set up on secondary water metering next year.

They will present the proposal to the district on December 20 and hope for a refund of the $29,500 city contributes to the district for the next two years to meter the commercial and large users.

Once that phase of the project is complete, they plan to present a second phase for residential metering and will seek $300,000 from them for that portion of the project.

If approved, they will need an additional $200,000 for residential metering and plan to apply to the Community Impact Board for that portion of the funding. San Juan Journal

City PC recommends code changes to pave way for more affordable housing

The Moab City Planning Commission recommended several changes to city code that city officials said would help make affordable housing more available. Following several public hearings on April 12, the commission voted on a number of issues, including allowing secondary dwellings in R-1 residential zones and increasing the allowed size for those buildings. Moab Times-Independent

Bill may use water rights to develop on reservation

Culinary water for San Juan County’s Navajo residents on the reservation is on the minds of the San Juan County Commission and the Utah State Legislature during this legislative session.

Commissioner Bruce Adams reported that he had testified before a legislative committee last week on the need for culinary water on the reservation using the Navajo water right from the San Juan River.

The state is considering a $154 million project to supply water to Monument Valley using a 24-inch water line that would run from Mexican Hat to Monument Valley. The water would be treated in Mexican Hat and then distributed using lift stations and storage tanks.

Adams reports that the committee unanimously approved the project. There will also be two or three additional projects in the future to supply treated culinary water to other areas of the reservation. San Juan Record

New Moab tailings contract

An Idaho Falls firm has won a $121 million contract to continue cleanup of the millions of tons of contaminated mill tailings that sit not far from the Colorado River. The five-year contract announced by the U.S. Department of Energy will have Portage, Inc. responsible for the removal of 3.1 million tons of tailings. So far, 4.6 million of the original 16 million tons of radioactive waste have been removed from a defunct mill. Deseret News

Uranium cleanup begins in San Juan County

On top of Oljato Mesa, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is preparing to remove the poisonous uranium--a $6 million cleanup.The agency, undertaking the "emergency cleanup" as an interim solution until the Navajo Nation decides on a permanent one, has a half-century of local distrust to deal with along with the practical challenges of eliminating the uranium hazard. The current work is part of EPA’s plan to address uranium problems all over the Navajo Nation . About $22 million is dedicated to building alternative water systems. Another $60 million over five years will go toward identifying and dealing with contaminated homes and mine sites. Salt Lake Tribune

Crucial river road’s collapse gives Moab economy jitters

Grand County and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management are scrambling to find emergency federal funds to rebuild the Mineral Bottom Road, which was washed out earlier this year. The road is an important river-running link and mountain bike route in Grand County. They applied to the Federal Highway Administration for emergency aid of $1.8 million to $2.5 million, and Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, sent the agency a letter backing the bid.

Highway officials have said the road, maintained by the county but crossing federal land, qualifies for an emergency funding program to aid federal highways. They haven’t yet approved the application, though. The BLM estimates the road supports 87 jobs and about $1.9 million in annual recreation sales. Salt Lake Tribune