SWUA Launches Blog Posts

SWUA has anounced the release of an information blog to help keep stockholders aware of current events happing within the organization and outside issues that may effect its members. President Calvin Crandall stated "This is an attemp by the SWUA directors to avail timely information so that stockholders can make informed decisions concerning their individual agricultural interests". Crandall went on to say that information such as monthly water reports, board agendas, rehabilitation projects, power generation and other pertinant information can be assembled on the web in a short window of time for interested members. He hopes that this information will help all stockholders have a clearer picture of the monthly activities that SWUA is engaged in. Look for monthly updates of general interest and issues of concern even more often. The URL is http://www.swua16.blogspot.com and Foxpro browser seems to work the best.

January Water Report Released

Spanish Fork Water Commissioner’s Report
Strawberry Water Users Association
Board Meeting

January 12, 2012
________________________________________
Precipitation at the Spanish Fork Power Plant for the month of December 2011 was .29 in. compared to 5.17 in. December 2011. Precipitation at the Power Plant was one of the lowest recorded for December. Average precipitation for the month of December is 1.84 inches. Ground water content is also very low. River flow has declined as well.
Today, January 11, 2012, the natural flow of the Spanish Fork River is approximately 77 cfs. Last year at this time the Spanish Fork River was flowing about 70 cfs. Delivery from Strawberry Reservoir today is approximately 35 cfs for minimum fish flows. Total flow in the Spanish Fork River today is about 112 cfs.
Snow pack last year was at near record levels for this time of year. This year snowpack is also at near record levels, they are at near low record levels. Snow water content is very low in the entire State of Utah, and all of the sites in the Spanish Fork Drainage are also extremely low as well. I have included a graph that illustrates the possible scenarios this spring. At this time, it doesn’t look good, but we have a lot of winter left.

Vandalism
January 4, 2012 we had an incident that resulted in one of the two High Line gates opening to 100%. This shut down the Power Plant for a time and caused some hurried action. Chad Knapp, Power Plant operator surveyed the situation, checked the Diversion Dam and Power Canal before finding the open canal gate. It is unclear what happened, but it is believed that vandals probably switched the controller to local and started the gate up and abandoned the site leaving the gate to open until it hit the limit switch. About 100 cfs went down the High Line canal for about one and one half hour, but no damage was evident. We will now disconnect all power to this site during the non-irrigation season.
John F. Mendenhall,
Spanish Fork Water Commissioner

SWUA Manager Addresses Footnote 6 Concerns

SWUA Reiterates Misson and Vision

Our Mission State

To develop, preserve, and enhance Strawberry Valley Project water, energy resources and investments for the benefit of our shareholders.

Our Vision Statement

We are dedicated to the responsible management of Strawberry Valley Project water resources for our community today and tomorrow.

January Board Meeting Agenda

STRAWBERRY WATER USERS ASSOCIATION
Board of Director’s Meeting – January 11, 2011 7:00 p.m.
AGENDA
1. Welcome and Introductions 7:00

2. Approval of Minutes – December 13, 2011

3. Work Session from 5p.m. – 7 p.m.

4. Audit Report – Strong and Strong

5. POWER COMMITTEE 7:20

a. Spanish Fork Flow Control Proposal
b. Lobbyist Report

6. IRRIGATION COMMITTEE 7:40
a. River Commissioner’s Report
b. Change of Place of Use Requests
c. Signed Water Dedication Agreements (WDA)
d. 2012 Delivery Charge

7. FINANCE & PERSONNEL COMMITTEE 8:00
a. Disbursements & Expenses
b. Financial Reports & Investment
c. Colton Capital Call

8. WATER POLICIES COMMITTEE 8:20

a. BOR policy update (Footnote 6 changes)
b. SUVMWA Ground Water Recharge Study
c. Return Flows

9. PROPERTIES & DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE 8:40

a. Maintenance & Water Conservation Projects – Status Report
b. Friends of Strawberry – Kelly Lewis
c. Tooele Property

10. PUBLIC AFFAIRS 9:00

a. Approve Resolutions

11. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 9:10


12. OTHER BUSINESS 9:15

Retiring Employees

Two long time Employees have retired from SWUA. General manager Gary Aitken and water assessor Caren Kirk retired this year. Both employees will be honored at the annual meeting this Saturday.

Gary Aitken
Gary Aitken was employed with Strawberry Water Users Association from July 1977 to June 2011.Gary started as an accountant and was appointed General Manager in May 1989. Gary also worked closely with Strawberry Electric Service District and Southern Utah Valley Power Systems.The rebuilding of the Spanish Fork Power Plant was done in 1983 and the Spanish Fork Diversion Dam in 1986. There were many changes during the years that Gary was employed at SWUA. Gary was involved with the transfer of rights in Strawberry Valley from SWUA to the federal government. Gary also worked on negotiations between SWUA and Central Utah Water Conservation District on the 1991 contract Gary pursued SWUA’s return flow rights and the Diamond Fork Power Privilege.During Gary’s time at SWUA he worked closely with the canal companies in the Strawberry Valley Project (SVP). There were 5.5 million of rehabilitation funds expended under his management that went to the betterment of the individual canal company’s and the SVP as a whole. The water saved by these projects is large.Gary worked with the board for many years reinvesting the funds from Strawberry Valley and then using the growth of those funds to allocate to the canal companies to be used for rehabilitation on canals.

Caren Kirk
Caren Kirk was employed with Strawberry Water Users Association (SWUA) from May 1979 to July 2011.In Caren’s early years at SWUA she did secretarial duties. Caren is one of those individuals that all employers and managers hope, for she is very diligent in completing her work. Caren has always been very well liked by the shareholders, board members, canal companies and employees she is a very conscience and caring person. In the beginning when the water records were first given to Caren it was a very extensive and exhausting process to complete requests. As time went on new programs and procedures were given to Caren to hopefully streamline this process. That was not always the case and Caren was the person that had to learn all of these new things and help determine if they were going to be successful. Caren always worked with a good attitude and completed her tasks timely with diligence and accuracy.

Strawberry Water Users Annual Meeting

The annual meeting of the Strawberry Water Users Association will be held on Saturday January 28th in Spanish Fork this year. The meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. at the Spanish Fork Junior High School 600 South 820 East. The purpose of the meeting will be to approve the minutes of the previous meeting, hear reports from the board of directors, discuss other business as appropriate and elect four Directors whose terms have expired.