Before the Storm

 

Photo by Jennifer Casillas

No Quaranteen!

Avoid the quaranteen.

No one wants a teen stuck at home. Get them vaccinated to keep COVID out of school and keep them in class and at extracurricular activities.

The Utah Department of Health recommends a layered prevention approach consistent with the Utah COVID-19 Disease Plan and CDC school guidelines to minimize the impact of COVID-19 exposures and outbreaks in school settings and maximize opportunities for children to participate in in-school learning and extracurricular activities.

Encouraging all school staff and students 12 years and older to be vaccinated against COVID-19 is an important prevention strategy. We ask all Utahns to carefully consider getting vaccinated and to seek out credible information about the vaccines from their healthcare provider and reputable health organizations. The vast majority of all COVID-19 deaths, hospitalizations, and cases in Utah are happening to people who are not vaccinated. It’s important for parents to talk to their child’s trusted healthcare provider if they have questions or concerns about vaccinations. 

COVID-19 vaccinations are FREE and available to anyone 12 and older. The Pfizer vaccine is the only COVID-19 vaccine authorized for children 12 to 17 years old. All three vaccines, Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccines are authorized for people ages 18 and older.

Fire Danger

Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter
Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah.  August 11, 2021.  Dan Ames, Rich County Fire Warden and Dusty Richards, Bear River Area Wildland Fire Management,  told the County Commissioners that there have been six fires that have only burned 3 ½ acres.  One was a lightning strike but because of a quick alert, they were able to get on it rapidly before it took off.

Ames said that the county moisture is at the lowest level it has ever been, he said that the County levels are 20% dryer than the County has been in the driest year.

They work with the three local fire departments and give each department $400 a year for their participation. 

Richards said that it is getting harder to hire qualified people.  They have had two openings for wardens, one for Cache County and one for Box Elder County.  They publicized the jobs nationally for over a month and only two people applied.   Wages are under the market value, the Bear River Area wardens start at $17 an hour and it is not competitive, according to a study completed with surrounding states and local municipalities.

Richards asked if the county would approve a raise for the two Rich County fire people.  They will redo the budget January 1 for 2022, but since HB 65 made an increase retroactive, the warden’s budget would need about $ 3500 extra for the period from July to January. Commissioners agreed

Birds at the Lake, Loving Saturday's Storm

Photo by Carol Ann Dyer

 

COVID 19 FUNDING - FREE MEALS FOR STUDENTS

With funding acquired through Covid -19 allocations the USDA’s Food & Nutrition Service is offering

FREE MEALS for all students - Breakfast and Lunch

Starting first day of school until end of school year

STUDENTS ENROLLED IN RICH SCHOOL DISTRICT

Free Breakfast & Free Lunch will be served at their school.

Parents are strongly encouraged to complete the required application for Free and Reduced Price Meals and have it submitted as soon as possible. Remember you can do this online as an Aspirecontact. This will enable the transition from this free program to the National School LunchProgram to be as seamless as possible when fundingruns out. Also, this helps our district inmany funding ways beside the lunch program.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

School starting information

 School will start Monday,  August 23.  Kindergarten students will be given an individual screening test during the first days of school.  Parents of kindergarten students will be receiving a letter, from the teacher, with specific information relative to the testing schedule and the start of regular classroom activities. School will begin at 8:00 a.m. and end at 3:21 p.m. for all students.

The middle school bus will leave the high school at 7:15 a.m.  The high school bus will leave Rich Middle School around 7:15 a.m.  If you have any questions regarding the time your bus leaves, contact your bus driver or Robyn Esterholdt at BTC 435-793-4501 x 300 or 435-881-2690.

Any new students attending North Rich Elementary or Rich Middle School, not already registered, should call 946-3359. RMS students are preregistered and class schedules can be found on Aspire.    If students have any questions or concerns about their individual schedules, they are asked to contact Principal Motta.

High school students are already registered.  Any new high school students should call Principal Larsen at 793-2365 starting August 2. A letter containing information about sport practices and coming back to school can be found on Rich High School under news. 

New students attending South Rich Elementary not already registered should call 793-2135 ext 100.

Soccer sign up

 

Bear Lake County Fair

August 23 @ 10:00 am - August 28 @ 10:00 pm

Bear Lake County Fair, Rodeo 

Bring the family for some good old fashioned fun! Rodeo, Carnival, Concert, Demolition Derby, Parade, Exhibits and more.  Parade, concerts, horse pulls, hypnotist, rodeo, and truck pulls. Call 208-847-0344 for more info.

Cisco’s Sonar

Bear Lake Water Levels
by Bryce Nielson

In recent weeks I have heard people wonder if Bear Lake has ever been this low before.  They hear about the horrible drought and Lake Powell drying up and assume that Bear Lake is experiencing the same problems. 

Looking at historical data, it has been considerably lower in the past.  There is no dam on Bear Lake.  It fills as water from the Bear River is diverted into Mud Lake (wetlands at the north end), through the Rainbow Canal, in the spring.  The majority of the Bear Lake Waterfowl Refuge is controlled by dikes and channels.  This complex increases in elevation during runoff and the excess water is released into the lake through the gates near the North Beach Jetty.  Once in the lake, the water can only leave through evaporation or pumping into the outlet canal at Lifton.  It is different than reservoirs that need to constantly release water to the river downstream. 

How the water is released or pumped out of the lake is now controlled by a complex agreement between PacifiCorp and the Bear River Water users.  Bear Lake Watch also participates in negotiations.  PacifiCorp is responsible for delivering the water.  In reality, there is a reservoir on top of a natural lake.

Around 1917, the Lifton pumping plant and canals were built and downstream hydropower plants were constructed.  The first below the lake is near Soda Springs, Idaho. created Alexander Reservoir and is known as the Soda Plant.  As the river winds through southeastern Idaho, two more plants, Cove and Grace were constructed on diversions.  Downstream, the Oneida Plant which created Oneida Reservoir.  The gradient of the river then flattens out and the last impoundment is the Cutler Marsh, which in addition to the Bear River, collects stream water from Cache Valley and was made by the Cutler Dam.  What is left of the river at this point flows past Corinne into the Bear River Bird Refuge near Brigham and then the Great Salt Lake. 

Once the lower Bear River was dammed and tamed, the Bear River Compact, which was established in the early 1950’s, described how the water was to be used for irrigation between Wyoming, Utah and Idaho.  Hundreds of different water rights were incorporated into canal companies that then regulated the many users from various diversions.  These water companies are now grouped into the Bear River Water Users.  They produce millions of dollars worth of agricultural goods and employ thousands of people. 

If you look at Bear Lake you see that it has a lot of water in it, approximately 6,000,000 acre feet.  The average depth is over 100 feet.  The elevation of the lake today (8/13) is 5913.4 feet UP&L datum.  That leaves 14 feet of water in the Bear Lake State Park Marina.  Plenty of water to launch boats and play on the lake while continuing to supply water for power and irrigation. 

I have seen the lake at its highs and lows over the last 48 years.  The one thing that is apparent is the growing demand for water the population growth.  Geologic studies indicate that Bear Lake may have been 60 feet higher and lower than present.  Humans have no control in those long term events.  I hope that in the future we can understand that this lake is a unique resource that we are lucky to enjoy.  We need to do everything we can to preserve Bear Lake for the next thousand years (at least).   

 

 

 

 

Bear Lake Marina

Photo from Bear Lake State Parks

 

Masks and vaccinations recommended for school opening

Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah.  August 11, 2021. Rich County has the smallest percentage of vaccinated people in the tri county area served by the Bear River Health Department.  Only 43% have been vaccinated.  Over one third of the confirmed cases are of people 25 years old and younger. People from 16-25 are very low in vaccination rates in the County.  Students over 12 can be vaccinated in Randolph by the Bear River Health. There have been 160 cases in Rich County.

Jordan Mathis, Director Bear River Health Department, told County Commissioners that they are working with the school districts.  Every communicable disease has a plan.  BRHD plan is to push the prevention side of things including face coverings.  Because of concerns about the children 12 and under who cannot yet be vaccinated, students should wear masks.

Covid 19 testing will be available for free.  Vaccinations are the best preventative option. Vaccinations can be done at the Bear Lake Clinic in Garden City,  Bear River Memorial Hospital in Montpelier Idaho and at m any places in Logan, Utah and Evanston, Wyoming.  BRHD will also send a nurse to give vaccinations.  All vaccinations are free.

Mathis said “Keep sick children and staff home.”

Handwashing and hygiene are also important.  Anyone tested positive for Covid 19 will be required to isolate.  If there is a case in the school, exposed individuals in a classroom will be notified.  The exposed students will then have to wear a mask unless vaccinated.

“We are asking parents to strongly consider these recommendations to keep school open.  If there are 30 cases in two weeks then we will test everyone in the school to see if there is a need for quarantine.”

There is also a chance for athletes to be infected at away games.  Mathis said this should be an incentive to get students over 12 vaccinated to protect the school and the community.  The school will send out more information for school rules.