When you turn on the tap, it’s easy to assume clean, reliable water will always be there. But making sure future generations have that same reliability takes planning, responsible management, and investments made years, sometimes decades, in advance. That’s what the Pine Valley Water Supply Project (PVWS) is all about.
Why We Need It
We rely heavily on groundwater from the Cedar Valley aquifer, a resource that’s supported homes, businesses, schools, and agriculture for generations. For years, more water has been pumped from that aquifer than nature alone can replace.
That’s why the Utah Division of Water Resources initiated the Cedar Valley Groundwater Management Plan, to reduce the pull on our declining aquifer and bring use back into balance. As part of that effort, Cedar City, Enoch, and the Water Conservancy have put checks and balances in place to accept only senior water rights, to educate our communities on conservation, and to pursue ways to recharge the aquifer and reuse the water we already have.
Conservation, water reuse, and aquifer recharge are all essential pieces of the solution. But developing additional reliable water sources is just as important, it takes pressure off the aquifer and helps protect it for the long run.
What the Project Does
Pine Valley will deliver 15,000 acre-feet of water using court-decreed water rights the District already owns. Developing this existing right diversifies our water portfolio and builds a more resilient supply for decades to come.
A project this size doesn’t happen overnight. It’s taken 20 years of engineering, environmental studies, permitting, and coordination with state and federal agencies to get where we are today.
Infrastructure You Don’t See
Pipelines, wells, storage facilities, and delivery systems work quietly every day to bring clean water to our homes and businesses. Investing in that infrastructure is a lot like maintaining roads or bridges, it’s easy to overlook until you need it, and it’s what keeps our community running.
Pine Valley works alongside other efforts already underway: conservation education, efficient irrigation, aquifer recharge, and the District’s Reuse Water Project. Together, they form a balanced approach to protecting one of Cedar Valley’s most valuable resources.
| By the Numbers: Pine Valley will provide 15,000 acre-feet of water using rights already owned by the District, helping diversify our supply and reduce pressure on the Cedar Valley aquifer for decades to come. |
By planning today, we’re helping make sure future generations can live, work, and grow right here, with the water they need to do it.
Every drop counts, and every investment we make today builds a stronger water future for tomorrow.
Sources
- Cedar Valley Water Conservancy – Pine Valley Water Supply Project
- Utah Division of Water Rights – Cedar Valley Groundwater Management Plan
We’re all in this together, and we’re here to help — reach out anytime you have questions about Cedar Valley’s water future.
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The purpose of our Get To Know Your H2O series is to educate our community on all things water. Cedar Valley Water Conservancy (CVWC) is actively engaged in education, conservation, reuse and import projects to meet the growing demands on local water supply.
For every effort you make to conserve, you are doing your part, too. To Get to Know Your H2O, visit https://cedarvalleywaterutah.gov.