George to discuss the changes, Manning said the restrictions will allow those with pre-1900 permission to get the water they need. The Utah cuts will not affect water rights holders along the Virgin in Nevada.Īt a public meeting Tuesday in St. The Southern Nevada Water Authority, wholesale supplier for the Las Vegas Valley, has bought up rights to the river, storing that water in Lake Mead for future use. The Virgin River begins in southern Utah, crosses a small stretch of Arizona and flows into Nevada, where it winds through the city of Mesquite and empties into the northern tip of Lake Mead. The rules apply to the river and its tributaries from near Zion National Park to a diversion dam near St. “This is an extraordinary action which will require an immediate response,” the letter says. People who don’t follow the new guidelines will face significant fines, ranging from $1,000 a day for an unintentional violation and $5,000 a day for an intentional violation, Manning said. State officials blame extremely dry conditions over the last three years. The Utah Department of Natural Resources sent a letter earlier this month alerting people to the changes. George reported.Ībout 100 people will lose their water rights under the action, assistant state engineer Jared Manning said. Only people with water rights dating back earlier than 1900 will be able to divert water to irrigate crops, grow pastures and give animals drinking water, the Spectrum of St.

GEORGE, Utah - Many farmers and residents in southern Utah will no longer be able to use water from the Virgin River because of continuing drought conditions that have greatly diminished water levels in the river and its tributaries. A swollen and silt filled Virgin River flows through the Arizona Strip District on its way towards Lake Mead in this May 5, 2011, file photo.

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