Herbert concerned about oversight, operation of canal systems

Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert has saddled the state's Executive Water Task Force with the burden of identifying who is responsible for adapting Utah's antiquated canal systems to the 21st century.

Herbert acknowledged that it will be a complicated issue, but he stressed the importance of urgency above all else.

"Water really is the lifeblood of Utah," he said, "and water really is something that can impact and limit the growth of this state. I'm here today to address a set of circumstances that cause us all a bit of concern. I had the opportunity to observe the canal and mudslide that occurred (July 11) in Logan, and it caused me to have concern when it comes to oversight and the care and maintenance of our waterways."

Herbert described the landslide that killed Jacqueline Leavey, her 12-year-old daughter, Abbey Alanis, and 14-year-old son, Victor Alanis, as "a wake up call." He has asked the task force to identify what the state's role should be in regard to operation and oversight of the canal systems.

The majority of canals are operated by individual owners. But with an increasing dependence on the systems by communities and their expectations of safety, Herbert said questions of accountability need to be addressed.

The task force is composed of engineers, legal experts, state lawmakers, canal owners and representatives from the Utah Farm Bureau and various water-conservancy districts.

Herbert charged the task force with defining and locating high-hazard canals among the 6,600 miles of waterways that crisscross the state, as well as determining what state or local governments' stake should be in addressing weaknesses in the system.

Warren Peterson, vice president of Farmland Reserve Inc., noted historic developments with Utah's waterways. When communities were settled across the state, the first order of business was to establish a main road. Then settlers set out to construct canals and waterways so they could develop agriculture and ranching, allowing the state to blossom, Peterson said.

As the population of the Beehive State boomed, urban sprawl and development grew across cities, and planners paid little attention to historic waterways that serve every community and the risks they posed, he said. As a result, some homes rest as close as 10 feet from canals.

Rick Allis, director of the Utah Geological Survey, said urban development is at the heart of the problem.