Divided Waters: Twin Towns Navigate Tumultuous Tides for Shared Flow
HILDALE, UT / COLORADO CITY, AZ — Beneath the earth where Utah and Arizona converge, water flows, heedless of the lines on a map. Yet, in the inextricably linked twin towns of Hildale and Colorado City, these political and legal boundaries above ground are orchestrating a complex narrative of shared resources and diverging destinies, threatening the very lifelines of these arid communities.
These neighboring towns, with homes and lives intertwined by a shared infrastructure, are finding their approaches to water — from the crucial act of digging wells to the intricacies of governance — increasingly fractured. Differing state laws, distinct municipal visions, and a simmering undercurrent of political tension are driving a wedge into what was once a pragmatic collaboration.
A Troubled Legacy: How Twin City Water Works Led to Local Water Governance
For decades, the water supply for Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona, was managed by Twin City Water Works, a non-profit company. However, this arrangement came to an end in 2019 when the Utah Attorney General’s Office initiated legal action. They alleged that Twin City Water Works was illegally funneling $1.7 million to outside organizations and people for purposes unrelated to the non-profit’s core business. Faced with these accusations and mounting legal pressure, Twin City Water Works ultimately agreed to cease operations and transfer all of its wells and assets to the cities of Hildale and Colorado City. This transfer formed the basis for the establishment of the current Hildale Colorado City Utilities, marking a significant shift from a privately controlled, controversial water system to one under direct municipal oversight. However, this transition wasn’t seamless. The new utility inherited a system plagued by neglect: poorly maintained or outdated lines and equipment, a lack of accurate maps detailing waterlines, and generally inefficient management. The Hildale Colorado City Utilities effectively had to “figure things out as they went,” facing the daunting task of rebuilding and modernizing a critical infrastructure that had been mismanaged for years until it came under new leadership.
One Utility, Two Governments, Growing Discord
At the heart of their shared existence lies the Hildale/Colorado City Utilities Board, a unique five-member panel forged through an intergovernmental agreement. This board serves as the steward for the towns’ common water, sewer, and natural gas networks, comprising two appointees from Colorado City, two from Hildale, and one “joint appointee” selected by both town councils.
However, recent events have exposed the delicate balance upon which this cooperation rests. In 2022, the United Effort Plan (UEP) Trust, a significant landowner and holder of water rights in the area, inked a five-year feasibility study agreement with the Washington County Water Conservancy District, the primary water manager for southern Utah. According to a copy reviewed by the UZona Record, key stipulations ensure all water rights remain within Colorado City and Hildale, and the Conservancy District can only sell water wholesale to the twin cities, never retail. Critically, any sales must include an Arizona town – a condition the District had resisted, given its focus on Washington County. If this feasibility study proves successful and the green light is given for drilling, these crucial stipulations will be firmly in place, dictating how new water resources are shared and managed between the communities.
Adding another layer of complexity, two Colorado City Utilities Board members, recently accepted appointments to the UEP board. This dual role has ignited concerns among Colorado City’s leadership, particularly Mayor Howard Ream, who has initiated conversations to remove them from the Utilities Board, citing a conflict of interest. New appointments are anticipated soon, a move that could significantly reshape the board’s operational trajectory. However, not all council members on both sides of the community share the same position on this issue; while Mayor Ream and some officials see a conflict, other council members in both Hildale and Colorado City believe it’s beneficial for individuals in key positions to serve on multiple boards, as it allows them to be more informed and make more comprehensive decisions across the interconnected systems.
“This isn’t just about infrastructure anymore—it’s about influence,” observed one longtime resident, who wished to remain anonymous, encapsulating the growing sentiment in the community.
Hildale Seeks Independence: The Upper Mesa Special Service District. UMSSD
Hildale City has recently taken a significant step towards water independence by creating the Upper Mesa Special Service District. This new entity is specifically designed to provide new water sources and water storage facilities for Hildale, a critical move given that most existing wells are currently located on the Arizona side, within Colorado City. Studies have indicated the presence of large aquifers in the region, which the Upper Mesa Water District plans to tap into to secure an additional and much-needed water supply for Hildale. Crucially, the Upper Mesa Water District aims to access a different aquifer, distinct from the one currently supplying the wells predominantly located in Arizona. This initiative emphasizes Hildale’s proactive approach to addressing its long-term water security and diversifying its water portfolio, potentially reducing its reliance on the shared utility system and the wells predominantly situated in Arizona.
The Arizona Advantage: Why Most Wells Lie Across the Line
Beyond the shared utility, a stark legal divergence between the two states has led to a notable geographic disparity in independent water access. In Arizona, drilling a domestic well is a relatively straightforward process. Outside of designated Active Management Areas (AMAs), well owners face minimal hurdles and are not required to prove water availability.
Conversely, Utah imposes a far more regulated system. Prospective well owners must apply for a water right through the Utah Division of Water Rights, demonstrate a beneficial use for the water, and prove that a sufficient supply exists.
This regulatory asymmetry has directly resulted in most wells in the Short Creek community being located on the Arizona side. “It’s just easier to tap water in Arizona,” explained a local contractor. “Utah makes you go through hoops.”
The Irrigation Layer: Short Creek’s Quiet District
Adding another thread to the water management tapestry is the Short Creek Irrigation District, established by the UEP Trust. This district primarily manages agricultural water use within Arizona, utilizing older irrigation systems and standing ready for potential future needs, showcasing another facet of water management distinct from the domestic supply.
The Real Cost of Division
What began as a pragmatic solution to share essential infrastructure has evolved into a compelling case study of small-town interdependence facing mounting pressure. Whether it’s the evolving perspectives on where and how water should be accessed independently, the brewing conflict over which town should manage the utility department, or the daily grind of coordinating policy across state lines, the towns of Short Creek are navigating a unique challenge: a unified system operating under divided sovereignty.
As the life-giving water continues its subterranean journey beneath the desert floor, a crucial question lingers: how long can these two governments effectively manage a single vital system before political currents run the risk of drying it out, leaving these communities parched by division?
