Cache County voters decided in the 2016 elections to create a water conservancy district like those already existing in Box Elder, Salt Lake and Weber Counties. The county’s at-large position is being contended by two candidates. The first is Dr. Brett Roper an aquatic ecologist for the U.S. Forest Service and adjunct professor at Utah State University.
"I think the important part of this water board is to bring together a diversity of ideas so that the water is managed to improve the environment for all the people in Cache County," Roper said. "Maintaining water in streams, on fields, and in houses is gonna be a hugely important issue over the next 20 to 30 years and being part of those discussions is what drew me to put my name in for this election."
The second candidate is Kirt Lindley, who has been the watermaster for the Wellsville/Mendon Canal & Wellsville City and is the current dam tender at Hyrum Reservoir.
"The reason why I decided to run was, there's a couple of reasons, the first reason is to make sure the water conservancy district operates the way it was sold to the public to vote for it," Lindley said. "Second of all, I'm concerned with the water leaving Cache Valley and going south to the Wasatch Front. My personal opinion, I think the water should stay in Cache Valley. We have a need for it and we should be able to keep it here."
The 11 members of this new district will be responsible for coordinating with the Utah Division of Water Resources as it implements the Bear River Develop Act, a bill that instructs the state to develop the surface waters of the Bear River and its tributaries through the planning and construction of reservoirs and other facilities.
