It is not only rain Governor Cox needs us to pray for, but snow. Snow is responsible for the majority of our water supply. And though we are in an extreme drought across the state, with record low lake and reservoir levels, we actually have enough municipal water- even if our populations explode.

We do need to conserve. Utahns use almost double the amount of water as our neighboring desert states. But we do not need to fund massive diversion projects such as the Bear Lake Development and the Lake Powell Pipeline. Even though they do not seem to affect us in the Ogden area, they will. They use massive taxpayer funds and jeopardize the waters of the Great Salt Lake and Lake Powell. The Bear River diversion will decrease already record low levels of the Great Salt Lake, risking dried lake beds which will increase air pollution from the dust they produce, much of it laced with arsenic. The Lake Powell Pipeline will tap a water source that is already so low the hydro power it generates is in jeopardy. Water allocations to neighboring states have been cut, affecting farmlands.

These actions are taking place behind the scenes with little public input. They are making special interest groups very wealthy but will not offer benefits to most Utahns. Rather, our taxes will increase, the strong economy the outdoor industry generates will be jeopardized, and the negative environmental impacts great.

We cannot afford to jeopardize our water supplies. Please contact your legislators and encourage them to buck the special interest groups and stand for what is truly the best for Utah, conservation of our current water supplies, the infrastructure to preserve them, and measures to mitigate global warming.

Patricia Becnel, Ogden

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