OPINION — When 309 pioneer families arrived to bolster the fledgling communities in what is now Washington County in 1861, they labored diligently to create their new community. For many, the terrain and climate were unfamiliar and unpredictable.
File photo of the Virgin River as seen from Sheep Bridge, Virgin, Utah, Jan. 10, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, St. George News
Shortly after arriving, a disastrous 40-day rain event washed away homes, farms, canals and much of the infrastructure developed by the settlers. Retelling this event, Robert Gardner wrote:
“The little settlement on the Clara Creek was all under water, and the people fled to the hills. The water was several feet deep in their little log houses.”
Water — the sporadic excess followed by prolonged extreme shortages — was an ongoing challenge for these first settlers.
In addition, the settlers suffered from a lack of infrastructure. They established a “drinking hour” that allowed residents to divert water from the ditch to fill barrels at home for cooking, cleaning and hygiene needs.
During the summer, residents collected water from 5-6 a.m. and, in the cooler months, from 6-7 a.m. This practice continued until homes were fitted with pipe systems and water meters in 1912.
These are just two of many examples of how our community’s founders toiled to maintain a consistent water supply. Their hard work, ingenuity and perseverance helped sustain the citizens through multiple droughts and floods.
L-R: Washington County Commissioners Adam Snow, Victor Iverson and Gil Almquist in St. George, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Washington County Commissioners, St. George News
Most of us do little more than simply turn on our tap for water today, but the principles of stewardship and resiliency still hold true. Overall, we have decreased our per capita water use by more than 30% since 2000. We have adopted Utah’s highest water efficiency standards for all new development.
Washington County is leading the state in the grass replacement program, replacing 34% of the grass statewide in 2023 with only 7% of the state’s population. Several of our cities are implementing advanced metering infrastructure, or smart meters, which allow residents to see their water-use in real time, alerting them to leaks or high usage.
These collective efforts have saved our community millions of gallons of water annually. But this isn’t the end of our story.
It is our shared responsibility to stretch our water supply through additional conservation and support efforts to recycle water and develop new supplies. The opportunity to prepare for the next generation of Washington County residents now falls on us.
We are all pioneers.
Submitted by Washington County Commissioners Adam Snow, Victor Iverson and Gil Almquist in honor of Pioneer Day.
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