Central Utah Water Conservancy District

Links	Water Conservation
	Central Utah Water Conservancy District has, as its primary mission, the protection, preservation, and management – CONSERVATION – of the water resources within its ten-county boundaries. Water conservation, therefore, is the most inclusive and accurate description of all District activities, from pipeline construction and maintenance to sophisticated water treatment plants to the purchase and administration of water shares and rights and the ultimate completion of the mammoth Central Utah Project.
	The District addresses conventional water conservation–that is, the prevention of waste and the direction of water supplies to their most beneficial use–in the following ways:
Section 207 Water Conservation Credit Program	Water Conservation Credit Program, Section 207 of the Central Utah Project Completion Act (CUPCA) Through this program, federal money is provided on a cost-share basis to public and private entities that demonstrate need and appropriate planning for water-saving projects. Projects submitted for consideration undergo rigorous examination by committee members from the District, Department of Interior, and private citizen groups. As of Summer, 2009, the Credit Program is credited by the Department of Interior with saving over 112,710 acre feet of water per year. For additional information on the Credit Program and active projects, link here www.cuwcd.com/cupca/wccp.htm.
conservewater.utah.gov Utah Division of Water Resources Water Checks	Water Conservation – General Administration Fund Central Utah Water Conservancy District is a member of the Governor’s Water Conservation Team, the Utah Water Development Commission, and the Utah Water Conservation Forum, providing personnel and financial resources to further conservation activities in a variety of venues. Link to Utah’s state media campaign www.slowtheflow.org, DNR’s Water Conservation website www.conservewater.utah.gov, and Forum website www.utahwaterconservationforum.org. Through Section 207 (above), the District provided funding for research detailing urban water use; today the District contributes funding for outgrowths of that research, especially the Slow-the-Flow campaign and residential water audits conducted by contract with Utah State Extension Service. To schedule a Water Check for your home or business, link to www.slowtheflow.org. Central Utah Water Conservancy District provides funding for statewide water conservation education through the State Office of Education and the Living Planet Aquarium For downloadable educational materials, link here: Students Teachers
	Central Utah Gardens Central Utah Gardens have been created to demonstrate and encourage the wise use of water in Utah landscapes. The average home owner uses 60% of their water to irrigate lawns and gardens. The good news is, this water use can be greatly reduced without sacrificing the beauty of your landscape. In fact, water-efficient landscapes often turn out to be more colorful, more interesting, and more diverse than traditional landscapes. Central Utah Water Conservancy District has created the Gardens to support its commitment to conservation, and to encourage an ethic that promotes responsible management of our water resources within the community.
	Essay Contest CUWCD sponsors an annual water conservation essay contest for students ages 9 through 18 during the spring months. The theme for 2009 was Water Conservation~Let’s Do It Together. The 2009 contest had 470 entries from 51 schools in 6 of the District’s 10 counties. Link here www.cuwcd.com/essays to read this year’s winning essays.
	Rebates and Grants Central Utah Water Conservancy District believes that appropriate equipment can make a difference in our landscape watering efficiency if it is installed and then used correctly. Homeowners and larger water users within the District who will take the necessary steps to purchase and use equipment that has been shown to reduce water use are eligible for assistance through rebates (commercial and residential) and small grants. Link to www.cuwcd.com/rebates for downloadable forms and additional links to product information.
	Research and Tools CUWCD recently sponsored research by the Utah State University Water Research Laboratory to find water meters that could be successfully used to meter secondary water. Such a meter is of critical importance to water providers using raw or irrigation water sources for use by outdoor residential and large turf areas (such as golf courses, schools, and parks). Without meters, users have little incentive to use water efficiently, and providers have no accurate way to gauge usage. Link here www.cuwcd.com/publicinformation/CUWCDSecondaryMeteringReport.pdf for a .pdf version of the final USU report. CUWCD is currently working with personnel from USU and CRS Consulting Engineers to compile life-cycle cost data for water use, landscape features, tools, plants, carbon footprint, fuel, etc., for use in a down-loadable (web-based) program to assist in landscape decision making. This tool is scheduled for public release in late summer 2009 and will be available at this website. The *3-Steps to Efficient Turf Irrigation* is now available for use and review. The handbook was written by Michael D. Stuver, P.E., formerly of the US Bureau of Reclamation, and published by Central Utah Water. Users are encouraged to submit comments and suggestions so the material can be as accurate and useful as possible.
	USEPA WaterSense Partner Central Utah Water Conservancy District is a participating Partner in the USEPA WaterSense program. Link here www.epa.gov/WaterSense for conservation tips, educational materials, and games to make conservation fun.