[GoblinoflazyParticipant]

Something I didn’t think to address about agriculture. Yes, farmland is slowly decreasing, however, The trend of farmland does not nessicarlly reflect farming practices. Improved irrigation, better water practices, and optimized growing all contribute to reducing the amount of land necessary to support a functioning farm. This could mean that as farmland acreage decreases the number of actual farms increases for a time. As smaller market garden businesses take the place of traditional large family farms. Filling the demand for locally sourced goods.

[GoblinoflazyParticipant]

I think that the cost of maintaining any dam on the Bear will outweigh its benefits. If there is any agriculture upstream from a dam it runs the risk of algae blooms. If there is a bloom then absolutely nobody benefits from the water. All man-made structures will fail, and when a dam fails there is usually substantial damage down river. Early this year, in February, a dam in Elko county Nevada burst, and its water flowed into Utah. Without proper construction and maintenance, residents run the risk of their homes and property being destroyed.

The development of the dam could easily lead to an overinvestment into our water. Farmers are concerned about water, but farmland is slowing being sold off to housing development. The 2012 Utah agricultural census shows only a minor decrease in farmland since 2002, a little over 120 thousand fewer acres or about a 1% decrease. (Utah 2012 census) That’s fairly insignificant, however, talk to any farmer in the greater Davis county area and they will tell you roughly the same thing. Farmers are getting old, the kids don’t want anything to do with the family farm and would rather sell the land, especially when they are offered three times the land’s worth. As time goes on with potentially less farmland in use, there is the potential of more water being freed up for domestic use. So, until the 2017 agricultural census is complete there is no way of knowing for certain the current trend in farmland, but I am willing to bet it’s on the decline.

Utah instead, should be more concerned with water law and regulation than with building dams.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by  Goblinoflazy.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by  Goblinoflazy.

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