Advocacy groups may sue water district

A fight over the health of two endangered Virgin River fish species could end up in court, as two advocacy groups threatened Monday to sue Washington County Water Conservancy District. The Center for Biological Diversity and the Utah Rivers Council filed a formal Notice of Intent, advising that it planned to sue the district over what the council alleges are excessive withdrawals of Virgin River water to Quail Creek Reservoir. The withdrawals, used to supply the district’s main culinary water source, have reduced flows and increased temperatures in the river, making it difficult for the endangered woundfin and Virgin River chub to survive, according to the letter. Noah Greenwald, endangered species director with the Center for Biological Diversity, said the withdrawals have consistently violated a requirement to allow a minimum of 86 cubic feet per second to bypass the Quail Creek diversion and supply the fish species’ habitat with an adequate amount of water. Barbara Hjelle, associate general manager and counsel for the water district, said the letter indicates that the groups have little legal argument, saying the letter instead focuses on cherry-picked data and false presumptions...more