# A new THREAT to Willar Spur!



## rjefre (Sep 8, 2007)

Yet ANOTHER threat to Willard Spur:

Perry City has been building a new sewage treament plant just a few hundred yards north of the Willard Bay North Marina. This wasn't too alarming until we just found out that they have applied for a discharge permit allowing an unregulated discharge directly into the Spur. The main problem with that is that this type of untreated discharge is full of phosphates and nitrates--these cause huge algeal blooms that choke off and kill the vegetation the waterfowl need to survive. The Spur has been mostly free from this stuff, and the result is one of the most productive wetland complexes for such plants as Sego Pondweed and Wigeon Grass in the nation. 
This discharge permit could damage or destroy the duck-food producing capabilities of the Spur and really hurt the hunting opportunity out there as well as the ability to hold waterfowl numbers in the fall. *The Spur feeds ducks into HAROLD CRANE, OGDEN BAY, BEAR RIVER REFUGE AND MANY OF THE NORTH SHORE CLUBS! This affects thousands of duck hunters!* I'll keep you up to date on the developments, but we need to be ready to send in individual comments to the Division of Water Quality by June 10th. 
THIS IS POTENTIALLY DEVASTATING TO THE SPUR!!
More info to come...

R 
__________________
You! Out of the gene pool - Now!


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

Thanks for the heads up. this does not sound good at all.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

Doesn't there have to be some kind of environmental impact study done? Wouldn't BRBR be able to sway that due to its areas border the Spur? I wonder if the other groups are going to weigh in on this like they did the GSL expansion?


I agree too much expansion going on!


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

I posted that up on the mudmotor forum.


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## rjefre (Sep 8, 2007)

Nope, unfortunately no EIS is needed for a municipal sewage discharge permit. The best we can hope for is to find someone (maybe a university program) that would be willing to take tests of the existing waters for free, so we can use them in the future to prove contamination. We have until June 10th to comment on the permit application. I'll get back here and post up the email address to send comments to as soon as we figure out the extent of the threat.
R


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## captain (Nov 18, 2007)

rjefre said:


> Nope, unfortunately no EIS is needed for a municipal sewage discharge permit. The best we can hope for is to find someone (maybe a university program) that would be willing to take tests of the existing waters for free, so we can use them in the future to prove contamination. We have until June 10th to comment on the permit application. I'll get back here and post up the email address to send comments to as soon as we figure out the extent of the threat.
> R


I know that the state is currently monitoring below their existing facility. where else would you want samples taken? How far from the existing lagoons will the facility be built? Just trying to get a fill for the situation?


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## rjefre (Sep 8, 2007)

Any help would be appreciated! The new plant is west of the freeway below Flying J truck stop. It is just a few hundred yards north of the boat ramp into the Spur and about 1/4 mile east of the water line of the Spur over near the outflow of BRR unit 5. If you (or anyone) has the capability to test the existing waters, I will make sure you get access to any location you need to get the testing accomplished. 
R


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## stuckduck (Jan 31, 2008)

I would like to see what the levels that are already flowing down the irrigation ditches as it is. with all the fruit and hay fields that drain down the ditches and even down the ditch that they have an easement to use. they have a good flow even now. I can get you in to test those. I would hope that a new location that they would have the best of technology to treat the water.


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

To add a little clarity (pun) to this situation. I personally don't see it as an issue. Willard and Perry are combining their sewage to this one location. It will be a state of the art sewage treatment plant and without a doubt they will monitor and only dump what is allowed via state water quality standards. They will be monitored constantly, rest assured on that.

On another hand, the Flying J mentioned, filed for a permit to dump their waste water into that same channel. I protested in writing and was told they would monitor their waste water to meet state standards. I said it was like having the fox guard the hen house, but that's as far as that went. They have been dumping for over a year now. I don't think this treatment plant will cause any issues with algae blooms and other waterfowl issues in a negative way.

But, wthdIk?


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

Actually, when you think about it every community along the front dumps their waste water into the GSL so why would this one be any different? Just saying is all.


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## rjefre (Sep 8, 2007)

The division of water quality doesn't require them to monitor or regulate their discharge for phosphates and nitrates. The new facility will do what is required of them as far as biosolids, e-coli and such, but the wetland killer is phosphates and algea blooms. Sad to say, but these sewage treatment outflows represent one of the best hopes for continued fresh-water inflows to the lake, so it is EXTREMELY important to keep it clean from the start rather than having to go back later and try to clean up an environmental disaster. As the population of Willard and Perry grow, so will the discharge rates. This could be REALLY disasterous to the Spur if not kept in check from the start. If not duck hunters, then who WILL protect our wetlands?
R


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## rjefre (Sep 8, 2007)

Here is the info needed to send in a comment.

*Send comments by June 10th to:
Matthew Garn 
Division of Water Quality
[email protected]*
Comments should be short and sweet. Possibly mentioning the lack of controls and monitoring of phosphates, nitrates, and other nutrients that will case harmful algea blooms on the freshwater wetlands of Willard Spur and Bear River Bay. Requesting immediate water monitoring and regular monitoring for phosphate levels is important too. The ducks and the wetlands need us on this...thanks.

You can check out the permit application at: http://[email protected]

Thanks,
R


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## Jeff Bringhurst (May 20, 2009)

Email sent.


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## Jeff Bringhurst (May 20, 2009)

Good news. We can make a difference! I just received this email:

The purpose of this email is to acknowledge the comments received regarding the proposed Utah Pollution Discharge Elimination System (UPDES) permit No. UT0025721 for the Perry/Willard Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. I hope this information will aid in your understanding of how this project was permitted.

Based on the review of the comments that were received, along with internal DWQ discussions, it was decided that changes to the permit are warranted. It was determined that the receiving water body was incorrectly classified. Therefore the permit will be reevaluated and revised, which will require a 30-day public comment period. At this time your comments will not be addressed, however if you find that your comments were not addressed in the revised permit, comments may be submitted to DWQ. You will be notified when the public notice period begins. If you have any other questions with regard to this matter, please me at (801) 536-4381 or [email protected].


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## diverfreak (May 11, 2008)

Jeff Bringhurst said:


> Good news. We can make a difference! I just received this email:
> 
> The purpose of this email is to acknowledge the comments received regarding the proposed Utah Pollution Discharge Elimination System (UPDES) permit No. UT0025721 for the Perry/Willard Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. I hope this information will aid in your understanding of how this project was permitted.
> 
> Based on the review of the comments that were received, along with internal DWQ discussions, it was decided that changes to the permit are warranted. It was determined that the receiving water body was incorrectly classified. Therefore the permit will be reevaluated and revised, which will require a 30-day public comment period. At this time your comments will not be addressed, however if you find that your comments were not addressed in the revised permit, comments may be submitted to DWQ. You will be notified when the public notice period begins. If you have any other questions with regard to this matter, please me at (801) 536-4381 or [email protected].


Got the same one, Glad someone up the chain of command is concerned as we are!

DiverFreak


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## rjefre (Sep 8, 2007)

Isn't it cool to see that waterfolwers can actually have a say in what municipalities dump into our wetlands? I'm sure there will be more to this story, but for now, they have heard us! Thanks to everyone that was concerned enough to send in a comment...you are part of the solution!
R


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

diverfreak said:


> Jeff Bringhurst said:
> 
> 
> > Good news. We can make a difference! I just received this email:
> ...


+1


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## InvaderZim (Sep 7, 2007)

Great work fellas!


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## deadicatedweim (Dec 18, 2007)

Isn't Powell Slough directly downstream from a sewer treatment plant? It doesn't seem to have much effect on the birds visiting there. And also Utah Lake has high levels since its in the bottom of Utah Valley which gets all the run off from the farms but it seems to me that the carp are more of the problem for plant growth? 


Just curious if its the same sort of issue?


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## rjefre (Sep 8, 2007)

Actually, sewer plants along the lake edge are are a good source of water inflows, and the lake desperately needs this water. The problem with this sewage treatment permit was that it allows discharges without treating for phosphates and other nitrogen-rich discharges or monitoring to see what the levels are. This will not help the freshwater bay (Willard Spur and Bear River Bay) at all, and will increase the likelyhood of algeal blooms taking over the last freshwater bay left on the GSL. Algea will rob all the oxygen, kill the Sego Pondweed and Widgeon Grass, and leave the place worthless for waterfowl. That is the very short answer to your question. It is important to stop allowing the state to treat the GSL with total disregard.
R


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