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Logan residents celebrate water conservation

Utah State University Extensions reeled in Logan residents June 6 for its annual Bear River Celebration and Free Fishing Day using free fishing, water activities and water conservation.

Free fishing was available anywhere in Utah, but the celebration at Willow Park provided tips about water conservation for those in Cache Valley.

“It is important to save water because we need it for our farmers, economy and wildlife,” said Brian Greene, the volunteering coordinator for Utah State University Water Quality Extensions. “We use more per capita for 248 gallons per day in our home for residential water. There have been times where we have had to curtail the amount of water people use. Utah is the second driest state in the nation and also has the highest water users per capita.”

But according to an analysis released by state legislative auditors May 5, information used by most water agencies could be outdated.

According to the report, “A Performance Audit of Projections of Utah’s Water Needs,” state auditors believe Utah will outgrow its need for unshared water supply by 2040.

USU Extensions Water Quality provides information for people on how to conserve.

“We define water by how it is used,” Greene said. “We want to protect water for all its beneficial uses and make sure it is healthy for all people to use. Most of Cache Valley’s water is used for lawn care and landscaping purposes. One of the ways residents can take care of that is to use plants and shrubs native to the area. This uses less water because they are native to the drier climate. People could be water wise for what kind of things that they plant.”

The USU Extension’s Water Quality website also contains information to help residents receive education about water conservation. Utah State’s Extension’s Water Quality also feel it is important for students to become better educated, many of whom come from out-of-state and have no idea of the strain placed on Utah’s resources.

Nicole Devanny, a graduate research assistant with the Department of Watershed Sciences, was one of those with no prior knowledge of water conservation.

“I am from back east, where limited water is not as much of a problem,” Devanny said. “I was first made aware of water scarcity on a trip down to Arizona. I have also worked with the forest service and have gained awareness through involvement with different conservation programs.”

Associate professor and head of the Department of Watershed Sciences Nancy Mesner agreed that students working to conserve water was important.

“We simply want students to be aware of how much water they are using,” Mesner said. “While they are brushing their teeth, they should turn the water off. They also should be aware of the food they consume and how much water is required to prepare certain foods. Beef is a prime example, using 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef.”

The outdoors is not the only place water is wasted. Household appliances have been improved to use less water. USU Water Extensions recommends low flow appliances, especially for shower heads and toilets.

Older toliets have been known to waste up to seven gallons of water per flush, according to conserveh2o.org. Some of the newer models require only 1.6 gallons, relying instead a high pressure function.

For all those interested in learning more on how to save water, please refer to http://extension.usu.edu/waterquality/.

—Jason Crummitt