This summer was great. Not too hot and well not even hotter. Although the meteorologists stated that the summer was average it felt a little cooler (global warming). The mosquitoes even seemed to be cooperating and didn’t make the scene until August. That is also when I found out that someone had opened the canal gates and flooded the yard behind ours.
Yes, it is unbelievable in this day and age of West Nile virus that some people still think that standing water is a good idea. But the people who have the water rights (and they paid a good sum for it fifty years ago) are near death and can’t seem to figure out how to use a hose. The owner’s of the particular water rights (which basically translates into flooding the yard and having standing water for several days until it dries out naturally) live several houses down from us on the opposite side (back facing). Not to fear the neighbors to the back of us have access to the canal water and know how to turn on the water which flows down an exposed ditch cutting through property lines.
Our property line is somewhere in the middle of said ditch that includes open pipe access that a small child (or cats) could fit into. Last year the neighbors were convinced to discontinue the flooding due to small children living on the property that contains the rather large ditch. This summer we thought we were in the clear until we discovered the water flowing yet again (although there is again a small child living on the property).
Not only do we get a happy increase in the mosquito population (Can I sue them for giving me West Nile when I’m dead?) we also get snakes and rodents. These would all be fine if they stayed outside of the house, but the cats do tend to bring in presents and mosquitoes just go where they want to.
Now you would think that the sensible thing to do would be to at the very least cover over the ditch (something they could have been working on for the past fifty years). But we are not dealing with sensible people. They believe that they paid enough for the rights and that they are not responsible for covering up the ditch. Yet, somehow a covered over pipe is running down the back of our yard. Still whenever we suggest this course of action they somehow think we want it blocked and remind us that their water rights are allowed to infringe on our property rights.
At some point I guess this whole irrigation by flooding system made sense in the arid land known as Utah. However, in this day and age we do have access to city water (they could get a break in the bill in exchange for the water rights), sprinkler systems and even the ability to design a yard that uses no grass (or in our case weeds). It is quite amazing to me here in Utah they have information stating that having standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes that could carry West Nile virus while at the same time they still allow flooding of residential properties that do just that.
I am currently trying to find out how they city can help, since they are the ones that built all of these gates coming off the canal, but my request had errors.
