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Key Contacts Water Rights Agent: ![]() HC 64 Box 2705 Mayor Jazmine Duncan (435)259-1064) jazmined@castlevalleyutah.com Town Clerk (435)259-9828 townclerk@castlevalleyutah.com
Building Permit Agent (435) 259-9828 colleent@castlevalleyutah.com
PLUC Clerk Jessica Maw (435)259-9828 jessicam@castlevalleyutah.com
Water Agent John Groo johng@castlevalleyutah.com
Roads Manager Dorje Honer 435-258-9203 or 435-259-9828 dorjeh@castlevalleyutah.com
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Monday thru Wednesday 9am-1pm Phone 435-259-9828 Notary Services Available ![]() |
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Water
![]() Water Rights The Town of Castle Valley owns four large water rights, whose priority dates range from 1962 to 1968. The Town uses a Water Use Agreement and Permit to make allocations of those rights available to lot owners who want to drill wells and use water for domestic, irrigation, and stock watering purposes. The unused portions of Town water rights are maintained for the future needs of the Town.
Links to: Water Use Agreement and Permit Water Use Accounting Form Instructions
![]() Watershed / Aquifer Protection The boundaries of the Castle Valley watershed were defined by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency in 2001 (see Watershed Map) when it declared the watershed to be a Sole Source Aquifer. This is a fairly rare distinction (to date, Castle Valley is the only area with a dispersed well distribution system to receive such a designation) that is given to aquifers that are known to be the sole source of water for inhabited areas, without any viable alternative. Widespread contamination of such an aquifer would create immediate health and safety issues, and would essentially end the availability of water to people living in the watershed. In 1996, the Town passed a Watershed Protection Ordinance. The Town is committed to working with private landowners, agencies, and authorities that own property in the Town's watershed to protect water quality and quantity. In 2006, in cooperation with the Utah Geological Survey, the Town drilled six wells at specified locations around the valley, and has since done twice yearly sampling of those wells to monitor water quality and check for contaminants. In addition, there has been regular sampling of Castle Creek by the Utah Department of Water Quality. The Town will continue to be vigilant in protecting the health of its aquifer, and will invoke the authority of the Sole Source Aquifer designation whenever necessary. The quality of water available on Town lots can vary widely. The source of well water for lots is either the valley-fill aquifer or, for lots closer to Porcupine Rim, the Cutler Formation aquifer. The latter tends to produce water with significantly more dissolved solids. The Cutler Formation water merges with the valley-fill water as it move down the valley, increasing the quantity of dissolved solids in the water in the lower end of the valley. The Utah Division of Water Quality has classified the water quality in Castle Valley based on a classification system focused primarily on total dissolved solids (see Water Classification Map). In 2018, the Town funded a comprehensive study to determine the capacity of the aquifer. i.e. how much can be withdrawn annually from the aquifer without depletion (see “HHS Study” below). Other studies of lesser scope have been done in the past (see below). Overall, the Town’s “water budget” is better understood than it once was, but more work is needed to refine it, particularly with the looming effects of climate change. That work is ongoing. EPA Sole Source Aquifer Designation
![]() Utah Geologic Survey Biannual Monitoring Results http://www.castlevalleyutah.com/pdfs/UGSSampling20162022.pdf Water Studies and Data There has been quite a bit of research done on the Castle Valley aquifer (engineers and scientists like to hang out here), resulting in a number of reports and publications. Links are below. In many cases the data is test site specific and is used to gain a general understanding of the Castle Valley aquifer and its hydrology. Data may not be representative of any individual well. To learn about the water from any particular well, a sample of that water should be tested by a qualified testing service. General information on drinking water standards is available from the EPA or the Utah Department of Water Quality. HYDROLOGIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEM ANALYSIS (HESA) STUDY REPORTS HESA Study Part 2 Supplement – Siting a Town Culinary Well (2016) HESA Study SupplementGroundwater Leaving Castle Valley (2016) HESA Study Supplement – Preliminary Water Balance (2016)
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