By Kevin Uno (WEST Fellow 2005-7)

The Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area (FBWMA) is a 12,000+ acre wetland located along the east and south margins of Farmington Bay.  These wetlands serve as a buffer for flooding during times of high water, filter contaminants coming from runoff from the surrounding urban region and provide critical habitat for migrating waterfowl.

The three main sources water for the FBWMA are the Jordan River, the Jordan River Surplus Canal, and precipitation.  The Surplus Canal, located at 2100 South in Salt Lake City, was constructed in the 1890’s prevent flooding in the urban corridor. Groundwater discharge is another source of water to the FBWMA, but its contribution is much smaller than input from the other sources.

The Jordan River discharges an average of 102,200 acre-feet of water a year through the FBWMA and into Farmington Bay.  The Surplus Canal contributes 283,600 acre-feet.  About 16,500 acre-feet of precipitation fall on the FBWMA annually.  In total, about 400,000 acre-feet of water pass through the FBWMA annually.  One acre-foot is the volume of water that would cover one acre of land with a foot of water.  An acre-foot of water is the about the average amount of water consumed in one year by a family of four.

About 35,000 acre-feet of water leaves the FBWMA through evaporation, which is especially high in the dry summer months.  The rest ends up in Farmington Bay, where it begins to mix with water from  Great Salt Lake.  Eventually, water that does not evaporate from Farmington Bay will enter the Great Salt Lake.

Sources:
1.  Wilberg, D.E., Tibbetts, J.R. , Enright, M., Burden, C.B., Smith,C. and Angeroth, C.E., 2005,  USGS Water-Data Report UT-05-1.

2.  http://www.engineering.usu.edu/uwrl/atlas/ch3/index.htm, accessed 5/10/2007.