Yesterday I spent the day in Kanab, Utah, the county seat of Kane County. Water has always been an issue in the west and Kane County has had its share of water woes. Kanab Creek, which like many other creeks and rivers in the area, has high flows with the spring runoff but then by late summer it is a trickle. The new Jackson Flat Water Supply Storage Facility aims to gather the extra spring runoff water in a reservoir and release it during the hotter, late summer months mostly for irrigation. In the plan since 1996 this project is now underway.
The groundbreaking ceremony was yesterday and included visitors and speakers Utah Governor Gary Herbert, U.S. Senator Robert Bennett, State Senator Mike Noel and State Senator Dennis Stowell.
Click Images to Enlarge and View Slide Show
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Much of the 400 acres needed for this project came from the Elmer and Leah Jackson Family with smaller adjacent pieces purchased from other land owners. The project will allow for adequate water supply to irrigate some 570 acres which in the past has suffered from late summer lack of water or at best, water pressure.
Recreation is also a consideration and a plan is currently being drawn up with the help of Utah State University. It looks to including swimming, fishing and possibly boating, and the 400 acre project will be open to the public.
Jackson Flat Reservoir Statistics
Cost: $12 Million
Funding: US Army Corps of Enineers, Utah State Division of Water Resources, Kane County Water Conservancy District
Surface area: 232 acres
Storage Capacity: 4.228 acre feet ( 1 acre foot is 325,856 gallons )
Maximum Height of Dam: 45 Feet
Length of Dam: 4.430 Feet
Completion Date: April 19, 2011
Pump Station Capacity: 14 cfs (cubic feet per second)
Contractor: Legacy Construction – Mesquite, Nevada
Design Team: Alpha Engineering, SLC and RB&G Engineering, Provo
Jackson Flat Reservoir Links
Kane County Water Conservancy District
The Spectrum Article on Reservoir
Utah Division of Water Resources
This looks to be a small evaporation pond? What will keep it clean from human feces, mosquitoe larva, fly larva, growth of bacteria in warm water…..extra? And How many people benefit from this puddle? One more question, what happens now to the riparian zone in Kanab creek. And please, tell me that the water is NOT being pumped from Lake Powell?