In conjunction with the sixth International Day of Action Against Dams, and for Rivers, Water and Life, Living Rivers initiated a campaign to help revive a small tributary of the Colorado River running just 300 yards from its Moab offices. About 80 people turned out for the noon time rally on March 14.
Mill Creek drops 7,000 feet from the La Sal mountains to its confluence with the Colorado River, 25 miles away. Just like the Colorado, Mill Creek runs dry before reaching its final destination; can no longer support endangered native fish; sees most of its water diverted for taxpayer-subsidized alfalfa irrigation; and receives limited public involvement in decisions affecting its future.
Living Rivers’ objective is the return of year-round stream flow by mobilizing public support to reduce the need for extensive diversions. On any given year, from 15 to 40 percent of the water diverted from Mill Creek is lost to leakage in the system’s principal reservoir, Ken’s Lake. Additionally, the agency responsible for managing this facility often takes more water from the creek than is allowed by their water right. Merely correcting these problems would go a long way toward reviving Mill Creek.
More important are the implementation of programs to help farmers who are potentially interested in making the transition to more water-efficient, higher-value crops. For example, alfalfa can require four times as much water as grapes, and provides the farmer with a crop that yields only $100 per acre-foot of water, whereas good quality grapes can yield $7,500 per acre-foot. Living Rivers is advocating similar alternatives for those who use Mill Creek water for water-intensive ornamental landscaping—promoting a switch to drought-tolerant native plants to keep more water in the creek.
