The annual stockholders of Cottonwood Creek Consolidated Irrigation Company met Jan. 17, at the Orangeville Community Center. The purpose of the meeting was to update the shareholders on the progress made in the installation of the pressurized irrigation system and to elect board members for each of the irrigation canals. Chairman Clyde Magnuson conducted the meeting.
The newly elected board members are as follows: for the Mammoth Canal-Shane Nielson, Craig Johansen and Clyde Magnuson, for the Blue Cut Canal Dickson Huntington and Justus Jorgensen, for the Clipper Western Canal Lee Magnuson and Karl Justesen.
Cory Worwood reported the activities of the Weed and Mosquito Board as to the Russian olive tree removal along the Cottonwood Creek from Bott Lane East. The grant monies received have specially targeted the Russian olives along the creeks. About 3,000 gallons of weed spray has been used along the Cottonwood Creek. Chemicals and fuel can be made available for the removal of Russian olive’s by landowners.
Clyde Magnuson reported: The pressurized water system has cost to date about $22 million and we have $2.6 million in the bank to pay for existing contracts. The Adobe Wash Dam has proved to be a great asset to the Cottonwood Creek Irrigation Company and to the Power Company.
The Clipper/Western portion of the pressurized system has been completed and the company will abandon the Clipper/Western Canal November 1. Construction of the upper Mammoth Canal is underway above Orangeville and the main pipeline installation should be completed by the first part of June. The public will be notified when there is an abandonment of canals.
We have entered into an agreement with the owners of the Wilsonville and Wilberg ditches to take in those first class water rights in exchange for water shares. Still pending is the final phase of the Mammoth canal pipeline, it will be the Johnson, the Swasey and the Jorgensen lateral. Maps were available on the table illustrating where each pipeline is located and what the system will look like when it is finished.
When we do away with the canals we will have to redo our bylaws to recognize the pressurized irrigation system zones similar to the existing canal areas for election purposes. The board is working on that issue.
Craig Johansen said the company still has enough money arranged to finish our pressurized irrigation project and we are starting to repay our loans. Eventually our plan is to have electronic water meters installed throughout the system. They will be connected to a computer system on the Internet that can be viewed by members of the irrigation company.
Dusty Huntington, the River Commissioner said 2014 was better than recent years, we came close but did not spill water from Joes Valley Dam at the overflow. We delivered 50,463 acre-feet of water in 2014. The snow pack is currently at 117 percent and we expect the dam will spill this year.
Jay Mark Humphrey, Emery Water Conservancy District said that we frequently examine county records for land ownership changes. Those changes also need to be reported to the Emery Water Conservancy District. It takes about two to four months to make a change. If you make any change to how the land is registered. That is a land change and has to be reported or you cannot use Federal water. The District still has a program of selling chemicals to the irrigation companies at 1/3rd of our cost. If you need chemicals to spray Russian olives or noxious weeds contact the District and we will provide it through the irrigation company. Lowell Gardner of the NRCS talked about the application process for on farm funding and some of the changes in the program. “Participants can apply as either an individual, entity, or joint ownership. If the participant applies as an entity, they must receive a DUNS number and have this number registered before we will accept an application.” Obtaining the Duns Number is free. If you are leasing land, it is important that you have a long term written lease before signing the application with NRCS. Without that written lease agreement on hand before making the application to the NRCS it could be very costly for you.
The Farm Service Agency also made a presentation about applications for funding requirements.
The meeting was adjourned by Clyde Magnuson after the election of Board Members had been completed.
[dfads params='groups=4969&limit=1&orderby=random']
[dfads params='groups=1745&limit=1&orderby=random']