The Mission of Benchland Water District is to provide its customers with an adequate and reliable supply of quality water that meets customer needs at a reasonable cost. However, the District does not:
(1) guarantee delivery of a specific quantity of water each year or
(2) guarantee delivery of water for a specific period of time each year
The District cannot be held responsible for variations in annual water supply available for secondary water use due to drought, natural disasters, or other acts of God: damage to water conveyance facilities, dam failures, or other disruptions to water storage or delivery: or other cauases beyond the reasonable control of the District.
The District is a governmental, not-for-profit entity that relies upon annual dues from its customers to operate and maintain the secondary system. The cost of maintaining and servicing the secondary system is not reduced during times of water supply shortage, and the District will not issue refunds to secondary water users due to interrupted service or a shortened water season.
(originally named “Farmington Area Pressurized Irrigation Distict” also known as FAPID) was created on October 1, 1969.
During the summer of 1967, Le Grande Gregory then serving as Mayor of Farmington City, contacted Aaron Richards telling Aaron that something must be done to correct the waste water and open ditch irrigation problems in the community. He asked Aaron to attempt to get the open ditch stock irrigation companies to cooperate in instituting a pressurized underground irrigation system to replace the open ditches. As a result of this request and with Mayor Gregory’s encouragement a committee was organized with that objective as its purpose. Committee representation was composed of individuals nominated and sponsored by each of the irrigation companies and a representative from Farmington City. Aaron Richards served as Chairman of the Committee.
The sponsoring organizations jointly funded an engineers feasability study and held public meetings as well as engaged in extensive dialogue and debate for two years. They concluded their work by petitioning the Davis County Board of Commissioners to create an irrigation improvement district under the legal statutes of the State of Utah. On October 1, 1969 the Farmington Area Pressurized Irrigation District, aka “FAPID”, became a legal entity (renamed Benchland Water District in January 2006). The first regular pressurized service was provided beginning April 28, 1978.
Organizing Committee
Aaron F. Richards – Chairman
John S. White – Davis Creek
Vince C. Hess – Haight Bench
Horton V. Bourne – North Cottonwood
Franklin R. Richards – North Cottonwood
M. P. Leonard – Shepard Creek
Norman K. Brown – Steed Creek
Horace Rencher – Farmington City
A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF THE DISTRICT FOUNDING AND ORGANIZATION
SPONSORING ENTITITIES
Davis Creek Irrigation Company
Davis Creek Irrigation Company were the owners of the water rights in Davis Creek. In addition they held a contract for the annual use of 168 acre feet of Weber Aqueduct water. Their service area extended from approximately 800 South in Famington to 1500 South and from the foothills on the east to the Union Pacific Railroad on the west. Their Davis Creek Water, in average years, yields approximately 403 acre feet, this in addition to the Weber Aqueduct water. Davis Creek named John S White as their representative to the organizing committee for pressure irrigation.
Haight Bench Irrigation & Water Company
Haight Bench Irrigation owned a secondary water right in Farmington Creek. In addition they held a contract to use 1,325 acre feet of Weber Aqueduct water annually. Their service area extended in some areas from 1100 North in Farmington across limited areas of Fruit Heights to as far north as 800 South in Kaysville. Service area extended from the Haight Bench Canal on the east to, in some areas, the agricultural lands just east of the Great Salt Lake on the west.
Their Farmington Creek water in average seasons yields approximately 976 acre feet, this in addition to their Weber Aqueduct water. Haight Bench Irrigation named Vince C Hess as their representative to the organizing committee for pressure irrigation.
North Cottonwood Irrigation & Water Company
North Cottonwood Irrigation owned the primary water right in Farmington Creek. In addition they held a contract to use 400 acre feet of Weber Aqueduct water each season. Their service area extended from as far north as 1300 North in Farmington in some areas to 800 South and from the North Cottonwood Ditches on the east to as far west as the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad on the west in some places.
Their Farmington Canyon water yields in an average season 2,629 acre feet, this in addition to their Weber Aqueduct water. Horton V Bourne and Franklin R Richards were named as representatives of North Cottonwood Irrigation by that Company to serve on the organizing committee for pressure irrigation.
Shepard Creek Irrigation & Water Company
Shepard Creek Irrigation owned the primary water right in Shepard Creek. In addition they held a contract to use 300 acre feet of Weber Aqueduct water each season. Their service area extended from 1200 North in Farmington to 900 South in parts of Kaysville and Fruit Heights. It extends from the Shepard Creek Irrigation Ditches on the east to approximately 1400 West in Farmington on the West.
Their Shepard Creek water yields in an average season 605 acre feet, this in addition to their Weber Aqueduct water. M. Prentice Leonard was named by Shepard Creek Irrigation to the organizing committee for pressure irrigation.
Steed Creek Irrigation & Water Company
Steed Creek Irrigation owned the primary water right in Steed Creek. Their service area extended from 100 North in Farmington to 700 South. The area extended from the Steed Creek Irrigation Ditches on the east to in some places the Union Pacific Railroad on the West.
Their Steed Creek water yields in an average year, 634 acre feet. Norman K Brown was named by Steed Creek Irrigation as their representative to serve on the organizing committee for pressure irrigation.
Farmington City Corporation
Farmington City participated as a sponsoring organization and named Horace Rencher, a member of the City Council, as their representative to serve on the organizing committee for pressure irrigation. When the District was organized, the City was provided one Trustee on the Board of Trustees for as long as the City boundaries were totally within the boundaries of the District. During that period of time James V Hansen, Howard Rigtrup, Richard C Jones, Gary Flood and R. Grant Ungerman each in turn served as Trustees appointed by Farmington City to the Board of Trustees of the District. During the time Grant Ungerman served as a Trustee, Farmington City expanded their boundary outside the District boundary and were therefore no longer entitled to appoint, to the board, individuals to serve as Trustee for the District.
SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS TO BENCHLAND WATER DISTRICT
LEGAL SERVICES
Milton J Hess
The organizing committee for the District asked Milton J Hess to assist in providing legal guidance to the committee concerning options for organization and means by which water rights and services might be equitably transferred from open ditch stock companies to the new entity. Until the District was organized and levied a property tax there was no means to provide compensation for this professional service. Attorney Hess, therefore, provided his service in contribution to the objective of providing pressurized irrigation for the community. He or members of his law firm have continued to serve as legal counsel for the District for the remaining years of their tenure as a law firm.
The guidance and assistance of Milton J Hess has been a most significant factor in achieving the goals and purposes of the District.
Paul W Hess
With a couple of exceptions in dealing with refinancing the District and with resolving two water rights matters, the District has utilized the legal counsel of Paul W Hess over the past several years. Paul follows in the tradition of making a very positive contribution to the success of the District as was the contribution made by his father. The District has appreciated his counsel and direction.
Richard G Allen
Richard G Allen provides excellent legal guidance on all of the Dsitrict’s Water Rights issues. His knowledge and wisdom is greatly appreciated by the District.
Smith Hartvigsen, PLLC
Smith Hartvigsen specialized in watr law and land law. Smith Hartvigsen has extensive administrative, trial and appeals experience on many water-related issues. Attorney Jay Peck provides the District’s day to day legal counsel.His knowledge and advice is greatly appreciated by the District
ENGINEERING SERVICES
Nielsen & Maxwell
The firm of Nielsen & Maxwell was contracted to provide an Engineering Feasibility Report for the organizing committee for the District. Each of the six sponsoring entities contributed $334.00 for the report. Following organization of the District, Nielsen, Maxwell and Wangsguard were employed to prepare Construction Plans for the District’s Storage, Collecting and Distribution System. They continued to serve the District during construction of the system and for a time following its completion.
Lee Cammack
During the early years of the District’s existence and operation, Lee Cammack was Kaysville City’s Engineer. He worked in a very productive and positive manner with the District’s personnel in the service areas located in Kaysville. When he entered private practice, the District employed his services as the District’s Consulting Engineer. He and the firm he has associated with have continued to serve in this capacity to the present time. Lee’s highly competent service and attention to the District’s interest during these years of association has been a great benefit to the District.
J-U-B Engineering
J-U-B Engineers, Inc. provides water resource and general engineering services throughout Utah and surrounding states. Clients include mutual water companies, water districts, municipalities, counties, state agencies, and other public agencies, as well as private companies and individuals. A full time staff of over 300 professional, technical, and administrative personnel provides a full range of services.
J-U-B provides services that include the following:
* Water systems planning & design
* Storm Drainage & sanitary sewer systems
* Irrigation systems planning & design
* Environmental assessments & impact statements
* Agricultural process water treatment
* Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
* Highway planning & design
* Global Positioning Systems (GPS)
* Traffic signal design
* Vulnerability Assessments
* Transportation master planing
* Landscape architecture design
* Traffic impact analysis & mitigation
* Land use planning, design, & engineering studies
* Streets, parking & illumination
* Public invlovement & facilitation* Structural design
Lee Cammack, Bryce Wilcocks, Jonathan Frazier and Josh Hogge are all responsible for the success of the District over the last 30 years. Their extensive knowledge and timely advice have helped to provide the stability that District enjoys today.