Building for tomorrow: Officials break ground on Central Iron County Water Conservancy District building

Written by Jeff Richards
May 1, 2024

CEDAR CITY — Officials broke ground Monday for Central Iron County Water Conservancy District’s new maintenance and office building.

Officials (L-R: David Harris, Spencer Jones, Tim Tasker, Tyler Melling, Terri Hartley, Mandi Williams, Paul Nelson, Dennis Gray, Paul Monroe, Marilyn Wood, Paul Cozzens, and Curtis Nielson) break ground for the Central Iron County Water Conservancy District’s new office and maintenance building, to be located at 710 S. Westview Drive, Cedar City, Utah, April 29, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Located on a 10-acre site at 710 South Westview Drive, the new facility is expected to be completed within one year, said Paul Monroe, the water conservancy district’s general manager.

“Our new building will serve as a hub for innovation, collaboration, and education,” Monroe said as he welcomed board members, employees, elected officials and others in attendance. “It will be a place where ideas flow freely, where experts come together to tackle challenges, and where the next generation of water champions is nurtured.”

Earlier in his remarks, Monroe outlined a brief history of the district, which was established in 1997 by a vote of Cedar Valley residents. 

“The first deposit or asset the district had was $15 into a State Bank checking account,” Monroe said during his remarks. “Twenty-seven years later, the district has $58,340,000 in assets.”

Monroe also noted that since 1997, the district has built a portfolio that now holds a total of 29,700 acre-feet of water rights. 

“The first matter of business the district took was to conduct a study to better understand the hydrology in Cedar Valley,” Monroe said. “Since that time, we’ve commissioned 30 different studies, analyzing the spectrum of geology, hydrology, the economics of water trade-offs between social economical environmental impacts, to water development projects. We’ve studied dams, tanks, pipelines, recharge, reuse, canals, sediment basins, water quality, and most recently, we commissioned a study to study a study.”

Central Iron County Water Conservancy District general manager Paul Monroe (left), along with board president David Harris, welcome attendees to the groundbreaking ceremony, Cedar City, Utah, April 29, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Monroe mentioned several key players who were instrumental in the creation of the district, as well as those who currently serve on its board of directors.

“Service on this board is a true commitment and dedication to future generations,” Monroe said, noting that board members serve without pay as they devote their time and expertise.

“Many of the efforts and seeds we are planting today will be harvested by our kids and grandkids and we may not see the full fruit of our labors,” he added.

“As we break ground today, let us also break barriers and forge new paths towards a future where water is protected and provided for all,” Monroe said as he concluded his remarks. “Thank you for your support as we continue our journey together, of getting to know our H2O.”

Joining Monroe for the ceremonial groundbreaking were current Central Iron County Water Conservancy District board members David Harris, Spencer Jones, Tyler Melling and Terri Hartley; district office manager Mandi Williams; Iron County Commissioners Marilyn Wood and Paul Cozzens; Curtis Nielson of Ensign Engineering; and Dennis Gray and Tim Tasker of Precision Development, the general contractor for the building project.

For more information about Central Iron County Water Conservancy District and local water projects, visit the district’s website.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have three young grandsons. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @stgnews@moabjeff@stgnewssports

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