The Central Utah Project is a US federal water project that was authorized for construction under the
Colorado River Storage Project
The Colorado River Storage Project is a United States Bureau of Reclamation project designed to oversee the development of the upper Colorado River basin. The project provides hydroelectric power, flood control and water storage for participati ...
Act of April 11, 1956,
as a participating project. In general, the Central Utah Project develops a portion of Utah's share of the yield of the
Colorado River
The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid drainage basin, watershed that encompasses parts of ...
, as set out in the
Colorado River Compact
The Colorado River Compact is a 1922 agreement among the seven southwest U.S. states that fall within the Colorado River drainage basin. The pact governs the allocation of the river's water rights. The agreement, originally proposed by attorney ...
of 1922.
The Central Utah Project was authorized under the Colorado River Storage Project Act (CRSPA) (Public Law 84-485) on April 11, 1956,
as a participating project of the
Colorado River Storage Project
The Colorado River Storage Project is a United States Bureau of Reclamation project designed to oversee the development of the upper Colorado River basin. The project provides hydroelectric power, flood control and water storage for participati ...
to help meet Utah's long-term water needs.
As originally planned and authorized, the Central Utah Project consisted of six units or sub-projects: the Bonneville Unit, the Jensen Unit, the Vernal Unit, the Uinta Unit, the Upalco Unit, and Ute Indian Unit. The largest and most complex is the Bonneville Unit, which diverts water from the
Uinta Basin
The Uinta Basin (also known as the Uintah Basin) is a physiographic section of the larger Colorado Plateaus province, which in turn is part of the larger Intermontane Plateaus physiographic division. It is also a geologic structural basin in ...
, a part of the
Colorado River
The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid drainage basin, watershed that encompasses parts of ...
Basin, to the
Lake Bonneville
Lake Bonneville was the largest Late Pleistocene paleolake in the Great Basin of western North America. It was a pluvial lake that formed in response to an increase in precipitation and a decrease in evaporation as a result of cooler temperature ...
Basin. The other units were designed to provide for development of local water supplies in the Uinta Basin.
The Central Utah Project develops water for irrigation, municipal, and industrial use; stream flows; and power generation. The project also provides recreation, fish and wildlife, flood control, water conservation, and water quality benefits.
Construction progress on the Central Utah Project proceeded slowly because of: the complexity of the project; complex environmental analyses; and inadequate and sporadic Federal funding. The slow progress prompted state and local officials to ask Congress to empower the Central Utah Water Conservancy District to complete the planning and construction of the remaining portion of the CUP, specifically the Bonneville Unit.
Central Utah Project Completion Act
The Central Utah Project Completion Act (CUPCA) enacted on October 30, 1992, removed responsibility for completing the Central Utah Project, a federal water project, from the
United States Bureau of Reclamation
The Bureau of Reclamation, and formerly the United States Reclamation Service, is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees water resource management, specifically as it applies to the oversight and opera ...
. For the first time in history, Congress designated a local entity (the Central Utah Water Conservancy District) as the planning and construction entity for a major Federal water project.
Construction progress on the Bonneville Unit has been slow because of the complexity of the project, the need for environmental analyses required by the
National Environmental Policy Act
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a United States environmental law that promotes the enhancement of the environment and established the President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). The law was enacted on January 1, 1970.Un ...
of 1969, and inadequate federal funding. By the early 1990s, the slow progress prompted state and local officials to ask Congress to empower the Central Utah Water Conservancy District to complete the planning and the construction of the remaining portions of the Central Utah Project, including the Bonneville Unit. The
Central Utah Water Conservancy District is a water conservancy district organized under the laws of the State of
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
, representing local water users in a ten-county district.
Congress responded to local concerns by enacting the Central Utah Project Completion Act on October 30, 1992. In the Central Utah Project Completion Act, Congress provided the direction for completing the Central Utah Project under a partnership among the Central Utah Water Conservancy District, the
United States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the mana ...
, and the
Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission, a federal commission created by the Central Utah Project Completion Act. The Central Utah Project Completion Act removed administrative responsibility for the Central Utah Project completion from the
United States Bureau of Reclamation
The Bureau of Reclamation, and formerly the United States Reclamation Service, is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees water resource management, specifically as it applies to the oversight and opera ...
, placing it under the Office of the Secretary of the Interior. As a result, the Central Utah Project Completion Act Office,
a branch of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science located in
Provo,
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
, administers the Central Utah Project Completion Act and the completion of the Central Utah Project. That is:
* Construction of the remainder of the Central Utah Project became the responsibility of the local water district—the
Central Utah Water Conservancy District
* The Central Utah Project Completion Act established the
Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission to oversee facilities to mitigate for the environmental effects of the Central Utah Project; and
* The Central Utah Project Completion Act placed responsibility for oversight of the project with the Secretary of the
United States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the mana ...
.
Key Elements
*Water for the Future – The Central Utah Project Completion Act authorizes sufficient Federal funds to complete the Central Utah Project. The construction of CUP facilities provides water for Utah's future—including the future of the Uinta Basin. The Uinta Basin Replacement Project is a key element of the construction authorized under Central Utah Project Completion Act.
*Recreation Opportunities – Central Utah Project facilities provide a range of recreational opportunities.
*Fiscal Responsibility – The Central Utah Project Completion Act created a cost-sharing environment under which local funds augment federal funding in the planning and construction of Central Utah Project features—which engenders additional fiscal responsibility.
*Environmental Commitments – The Central Utah Project Completion Act created the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission to coordinate and plan mitigation measures to meet
environmental mitigation
Environmental mitigation, compensatory mitigation, or mitigation banking, are terms used primarily by the United States government and the related environmental industry to describe projects or programs intended to offset known impacts to an existi ...
and conservation measures (including environmental commitments that preceded the Central Utah Project Completion Act). The Central Utah Project Completion Act also includes provisions for maintaining steam flows at prescribed minimum rates for the benefit of aquatic and riparian habitat.
*Water Conservation – The Central Utah Project Completion Act authorizes substantial funding for the planning and implementation of water conservation measures and projects.
*Local Development – The Central Utah Project Completion Act provides funding for local water development projects in areas that do not benefit directly from the Central Utah Project.
*
Ute Indian Rights Settlement – CUPCA encourages the Northern
Ute Tribe
Ute () are the Indigenous people of the Ute tribe and culture among the Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin. They had lived in sovereignty in the regions of present-day Utah and Colorado in the Southwestern United States for many centuries unt ...
to quantify by compact its federal reserved water rights. It also settle long-outstanding claims against the United States arising out of the construction of the CUP by authorizing substantial funds to compensate the Ute Tribe for construction projects not undertaken by the United States. These funds provide for agricultural development, fish and wildlife enhancement, recreation improvement, and economic development.
Title II
Title II of the Central Utah Project Completion Act:
*Authorized the District to plan and construct the remaining project features
*Provided additional project ceiling to complete the project
•*Authorized the construction of the
Uinta Basin Replacement Project, the
Wasatch County Water Efficiency Project, and the
Daniels Replacement Project
*Authorized funding for development of local water projects
*Established benchmarks for water conservation and authorized funding to assist in meeting those benchmarks, *Placed the oversight of the project completion under the Office of the Secretary of the Interior
*Authorized Reclamation to provide technical assistance.
Title III
Title III of the Central Utah Project Completion Act created the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission and gave it responsibility for coordinating and planning mitigation measures, administering funding that had been previously authorized for
environmental mitigation
Environmental mitigation, compensatory mitigation, or mitigation banking, are terms used primarily by the United States government and the related environmental industry to describe projects or programs intended to offset known impacts to an existi ...
, and administering funding authorized for mitigation under the Central Utah Project Completion Act.
Title IV
Title IV of the Central Utah Project Completion Act lays out the mechanism for funding for the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission.
Title V
Title V of the Central Utah Project Completion Act contains the
Ute Indian Rights Settlement. In 1965, the
Ute Tribe
Ute () are the Indigenous people of the Ute tribe and culture among the Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin. They had lived in sovereignty in the regions of present-day Utah and Colorado in the Southwestern United States for many centuries unt ...
of the Uintah and Ouray Agency agreed to allow the Bureau of Reclamation to divert a portion of its water for Bonneville Unit water supply. In exchange, the Bureau of Reclamation agreed to plan and construct the Uintah, Upalco, and Ute Indian Units of the CUP to provide storage of the Tribe's water. The settlement compensates the Tribe for Reclamation's failure to meet its 1965 construction obligations. Under the settlement, the Northern Tribe received $49.0 million for agricultural development, $29.5 million for recreation and fish and wildlife enhancement, and $125 million for economic development.
Units
As noted above, the Central Utah Project, as originally planned and authorized, consisted of six units or sub-projects: the Bonneville Unit, the Jensen Unit, the Vernal Unit, the Uintah Unit, the Upalco Unit, and the Ute Indian Unit.
Bonneville Unit
The Bonneville Unit is in central and northeastern Utah and provides water for the following counties:
Salt Lake County
Salt Lake County is located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 1,185,238, making it the most populous county in Utah. Its county seat and largest city is Salt Lake City, the state capital. The coun ...
,
Utah County
Utah County is the second-most populous county in the U.S. state of Utah. The county seat and largest city is Provo, which is the state's third-largest city, and the largest outside of Salt Lake County. As of the 2020 United States Census, the ...
,
Wasatch County
Wasatch County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 23,530. Its county seat and largest city is Heber City. The county was named for a Ute Native American word meaning ''mountain pa ...
,
Summit County, and
Duchesne County
Duchesne County ( ) is a county in the northeast part of the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 18,607. Its county seat is Duchesne, and the largest city is Roosevelt.
History
Much of Duchesne County was ...
. Bonneville Unit water is developed by collecting and storing excess flows of several streams (principally tributaries to the
Duchesne River
The Duchesne River ( ), located in the Uintah Basin region of Utah in the western United States, is a tributary of the Green River (Colorado River), Green River. The watershed of the river covers the Northeastern corner of Utah. The Duchesne Riv ...
), purchasing water rights, using part of the existing water supply in
Utah Lake
Utah Lake is a shallow freshwater lake in the center of Utah County, Utah, United States. It lies in Utah Valley, surrounded by the Provo-Orem metropolitan area. The lake's only river outlet, the Jordan River, is a tributary of the Great Salt La ...
, and using project return flows and high flows entering Utah Lake.
The Bonneville Unit includes features that facilitate a trans-basin diversion of water from the
Uinta Basin
The Uinta Basin (also known as the Uintah Basin) is a physiographic section of the larger Colorado Plateaus province, which in turn is part of the larger Intermontane Plateaus physiographic division. It is also a geologic structural basin in ...
to the Bonneville Basin and development of local water resources in both basins. The completed Bonneville Unit will deliver a permanent supply of of irrigation water and of municipal and industrial water. It will provide sufficient stream flow to maintain fisheries in various streams in the Bonneville Unit area. It will also provide flood control, recreation, project power, leased power, and fish and wildlife improvements.
The Bonneville Unit is divided into six systems: the Starvation Collection System, in the Uinta Basin; the Strawberry Aqueduct and Collection System; in the
Uinta Basin
The Uinta Basin (also known as the Uintah Basin) is a physiographic section of the larger Colorado Plateaus province, which in turn is part of the larger Intermontane Plateaus physiographic division. It is also a geologic structural basin in ...
; the Municipal and Industrial System, in the
Provo River
The Provo River is located in Utah County and Wasatch County, Utah, in the United States. It rises in the Uinta Mountains at Wall Lake and flows about southwest to Utah Lake at the city of Provo, Utah.
Course
The two main branches of Provo Rive ...
Basin; the Ute Indian Tribal Development, in the Duchesne River Basin; the Diamond Fork System, in
Diamond Fork Canyon; and the Utah Lake System, in Diamond Fork Canyon;
Spanish Fork Canyon
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
; and
Utah Valley
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...
.
Starvation Collection System
The Starvation Collection System was completed in 1970. The system provides water for irrigation and municipal and industrial use, flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits in the
Duchesne County
Duchesne County ( ) is a county in the northeast part of the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 18,607. Its county seat is Duchesne, and the largest city is Roosevelt.
History
Much of Duchesne County was ...
area of the Uinta Basin. Water storage is provided by the
Starvation Reservoir
Starvation is a severe deficiency in caloric energy intake, below the level needed to maintain an organism's life. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage and eventually, deat ...
, located on the
Strawberry River, just above its confluence with the Duchesne River. Starvation Reservoir is filled by winter and spring flows of the Duchesne and Strawberry Rivers. Duchesne River water is diverted by Knight Diversion Dam and conveyed to the reservoir through the Starvation Feeder Conduit.
Starvation Reservoir provides a benefit to irrigators along the Duchesne River in the form of water delivery in the late summer and fall when streamflows typically decline below the levels that are needed for irrigation diversion. Water stored in Starvation Reservoir provides of irrigation water and of municipal and industrial water for use in the Uinta Basin. Starvation Reservoir provides an average of approximately of water annually to irrigators to replace water diverted in the Strawberry Aqueduct and Collection System to Strawberry Reservoir. The reservoir provides fishery benefits and public recreation.
Strawberry Aqueduct and Collection System
The Strawberry Aqueduct and Collection System, completed in the late 1980s, diverts part of the flows of Rock Creek and eight other tributaries of the Duchesne River and conveys the diverted flows through the -long Strawberry Aqueduct to
Strawberry Reservoir
Strawberry Reservoir is a large reservoir in the U.S. state of Utah. It is Utah's most popular fishery, receiving over 1.5 million angling hours annually and is part of the Blue Ribbon Fisheries program. Game fish in the reservoir include sterili ...
. Upper Stillwater Reservoir, with a capacity of , serves as a regulating reservoir at the head of the Strawberry Aqueduct to provide temporary storage during the high runoff period for later diversion to the aqueduct and storage in Strawberry Reservoir. Currant Creek Reservoir, with a total capacity of , diverts Currant Creek and five tributaries into the Strawberry Aqueduct. The Strawberry Aqueduct and Collection System provides of instream flows for fishery mitigation purposes annually. The capacity of Strawberry Reservoir was enlarged from to by the construction of Soldier Creek Dam on the Strawberry River. Some of the water stored in the reservoir is released to the Strawberry River to provide fishery flows, but most of the stored water is for trans-basin diversion to the Bonneville Basin. In addition to water supply, the Strawberry Aqueduct and Collection System provides flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits.
Municipal and Industrial System
The Bonneville Unit Municipal and Industrial System provides municipal and industrial water to Salt Lake, Utah, and Wasatch Counties and supplemental irrigation water to Wasatch and Summit Counties. The system provides flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Jordanelle Dam (, completed in 1994), near
Heber City, is the major feature.
Provo River
The Provo River is located in Utah County and Wasatch County, Utah, in the United States. It rises in the Uinta Mountains at Wall Lake and flows about southwest to Utah Lake at the city of Provo, Utah.
Course
The two main branches of Provo Rive ...
flow that historically flowed into Utah Lake is stored in
Jordanelle Reservoir
Jordanelle Reservoir is a reservoir in Wasatch County, Utah, United States, just north of Heber City.
Jordanelle Reservoir is fed and drained primarily by the Provo River, and is impounded by the Jordanelle Dam, an earthen dam. The construction ...
and in
Deer Creek Reservoir
The Deer Creek Dam and Reservoir hydroelectric facilities are on the Provo River in western Wasatch County, Utah, United States, about northeast of Provo. The dam is a zoned earthfill structure high with a crest length of . The dam contains 2 ...
. Utah Lake water originating from the Provo River would be replaced by Bonneville Unit return flows to the lake, water rights previously acquired by the District in Utah Lake, direct releases of water from Strawberry Reservoir to Utah Lake, and flows that are surplus to Utah Lake rights.
The municipal and industrial water for northern Utah County ( per year) and Salt Lake County ( per year) is released from Jordanelle Reservoir or diverted under direct flow water rights and then rediverted from the Provo River into the Olmsted Flowline. From that diversion, the water is conveyed to the Salt Lake County area by the -long Jordan Aqueduct and to northern Utah County through the -long Alpine Aqueduct. Water for use in Wasatch County is released from Jordanelle Reservoir for delivery by local irrigation canals, current secondary municipal and industrial systems, and a future municipal and industrial treated water system. Water for use in Summit County is provided from Washington, Trial, and Lost Lakes in the headwaters of the Provo River or directly from the Provo River, both facilitated through an exchange with storage in Jordanelle Reservoir.
In 1999, the Central Utah Project Completion Act Office initiated a request for proposals for a
Lease of Power Privilege on Jordanelle Dam. A Lease of Power Privilege is a partnership among public and private entities to provide for the non-federal generation of power on Reclamation facilities. Such leases are authorized under the Town Sites and Power Development Act of 1906 (43 U.S.C. 522) and the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 (43 U.S.C. 485h(c)). A Lease of Power Privilege is an alternative to the development of federal hydropower and grants the lessee the right to use, consistently with project purposes, water power head and storage for non-federal electric power generation and sale by the lessee.
By a process of requesting and reviewing proposals, the Central Utah Project Completion Act Office and the
Western Area Power Administration
As one of the four power marketing administrations within the U.S. Department of Energy, the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA)'s role is to market wholesale hydropower generated at 57 hydroelectric federal dams operated by the Bureau of R ...
selected the Central Utah Water Conservancy District and
Heber Light & Power as joint potential lessees for power development at Jordanelle Dam. The Central Utah Project Completion Act Office and the lessees executed a lease agreement in 2005, after the approval of the environmental assessment for the project. Construction of the turbines and generators began in late 2005, and construction of the building began in late 2006. The project is expected to be fully operational by summer of 2008.
Diamond Fork System
After completion of the ULS, the Diamond Fork System will allow for the full trans-basin diversion of Bonneville Unit water from Strawberry Reservoir in the Colorado River drainage basin to Spanish Fork Canyon in the Bonneville Basin. The Diamond Fork System protects the Diamond Fork Creek and Sixth Water Creek riparian areas from damaging high flows. The Diamond Fork System was constructed in three main phases. The Bureau of Reclamation constructed the first phase; the Central Utah Water Conservancy District constructed the second and third phases under the Central Utah Project Completion Act. The first phase included the Syar Tunnel Inlet, the Syar Tunnel, the Sixth Water Aqueduct, and the Sixth Water Flow Control Structure, which together form a continuous conduit from Strawberry Reservoir to Sixth Water Creek and now discharges water into Sixth Water Creek. The second phase included the Diamond Fork Pipeline from Monks Hollow downstream to the mouth of Diamond Fork Creek. The third phase, now completed, bad a tunnel connection to the Sixth Water Shaft and Flow Control Structure, Tanner Ridge Tunnel, Upper Diamond Fork Pipeline, Upper Diamond Fork Flow Control Structure, connection to Upper Diamond Fork Tunnel, Upper Diamond Fork Tunnel, and connection to the Diamond Fork Pipeline. Flow control structures are located at Sixth Water Creek, Upper Diamond Fork Creek, and at Monks Hollow. The -long conduit will convey Bonneville Unit water and
Strawberry Valley Project water to the mouth of Diamond Fork Canyon. The Diamond Fork System will remove a portion of the Strawberry Valley Project irrigation flows that were historically conveyed down Sixth Water Creek and Diamond Fork Creek. In-stream flows specified in the Central Utah Project Completion Act will be released into Sixth Water Creek and lower Diamond Fork Creek to enhance fisheries in these streams.
Ute Indian Tribal Development
The purpose of the Ute Indian Tribal Development Project is to mitigate stream-related fish and wildlife losses on Indian lands and other specific fish and wildlife losses associated with the Bonneville Unit. Bottle Hollow Reservoir was constructed to compensate the tribe for economic losses associated with stream fishing on the portion of Rock Creek located on the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation. With a surface area of , the reservoir provides fishing opportunities, wildlife habitat, and a basis for recreation-oriented enterprises to provide additional employment and income for tribal members. The Lower Duchesne River Wetlands Mitigation Project, currently being planned by the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission, the Central Utah Project Completion Act Office and the Ute Tribe, will create, restore, and otherwise enhance riparian wetland habitats along the Duchesne River as partial mitigation for the Bonneville Unit. The project has been planned in conjunction with the tribe and is intended to fulfill longstanding commitments to mitigate for impacts on wetland-wildlife habitats that arise from construction and operation of the Strawberry Aqueduct and Collection System and to provide additional wetland/wildlife mitigation to the tribe. Originally proposed in 1965, the project has undergone recent planning revisions and a final EIS will be published in 2008.
Utah Lake System
The Utah Lake System (ULS) is the final phase of the Bonneville Unit. On September 30, 2004, the Central Utah Project Completion Act Office filed the Utah Lake System Final Environmental Impact Statement l, and on December 22, 2004, the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science signed the Utah Lake System Record of Decision. The district completed the final planning document (the Supplement to the 1988 Definite Plan Report for the Bonneville Unit) l, which was approved by the Central Utah Project Completion Act Office and Reclamation on November 19, 2004. Contracts for implementation of the ULS have been negotiated and were executed on March 15, 2005. Construction of the ULS began in 2007.
The Utah Lake System includes the following features:
* Sixth Water Powerplant and Transmission Line
* Upper Diamond Fork Powerplant and Underground Transmission Cable
* Spanish Fork River Flow Control Structure (already constructed)
* Spanish Fork Canyon Pipeline
* Spanish Fork–Santaquin Pipeline
* Santaquin–Mona Reservoir Pipeline
* Mapleton–Springville Lateral Pipeline
* Spanish Fork–Provo Reservoir Canal Pipeline
These features will deliver Utah Lake System municipal and industrial secondary water to southern Utah County cities; deliver water to Hobble Creek to provide
June sucker
The June sucker (''Chasmistes liorus'') is an endangered species of fish endemic to Utah Lake and the Provo River in the U.S. state of Utah. It is a gray or brownish fish with a paler belly, growing up to about . It lives alongside the Utah sucker ...
spawning flows and supplemental flow during other times of the year, deliver water for supplemental flow in the lower Provo River, deliver municipal and industrial raw water to the Provo Reservoir Canal and the Jordan Aqueduct for conveyance to water treatment plants in Salt Lake County, and generate electric power incident to water deliveries at two hydropower plants. The proposed Sixth Water Powerplant will have a capacity of 45 MWh and the proposed Upper Diamond Fork Powerplant will have a capacity of 5 MWh. The Spanish Fork Canyon Pipeline and Spanish Fork–Santaquin Pipeline will convey up to of SVP irrigation water shares of south Utah County municipalities through the new ULS pipelines when space is available.
The Utah Lake System yield includes of municipal and industrial water that will be delivered into Salt Lake County; of municipal and industrial water that will be delivered to south Utah County municipalities, which will assign about to the Central Utah Project Completion Act Office for in-stream flows; and , minus conveyance losses, which will be delivered to Utah Lake for exchange to Jordanelle Reservoir under the Municipal and Industrial System. Of the , about would be released down the Spanish Fork River during the winter months, an average of would be conveyed through new pipelines to the lower Provo River to assist in meeting in-stream flows, and about would be conveyed to Hobble Creek to assist in the recovery of the June sucker, an endangered fish indigenous to Utah Lake.
Jensen Unit
The Jensen Unit, in
Uintah County
Uintah County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 35,620. Its county seat and largest city is Vernal. The county was named for the portion of the Ute Indian tribe that lived in the b ...
in northeastern Utah, serves
Ashley Valley Ashley is a place name derived from the Old English words '' æsc'' (“ash”) and '' lēah'' (“meadow”). It may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Ashley (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
...
and the area that extends east of the valley to the
Green River Green River may refer to:
Rivers
Canada
*Green River (British Columbia), a tributary of the Lillooet River
*Green River, a tributary of the Saint John River, also known by its French name of Rivière Verte
*Green River (Ontario), a tributary of ...
. The Jensen Unit, as originally planned, was intended to develop about of water annually: for municipal and industrial use and for irrigation; agricultural acres receive a full irrigation water supply and receive a supplemental water supply. The
Uintah Water Conservancy District operates the Jensen Unit.
Initial planning for the Jensen Unit in the 1970s anticipated full-scale
oil shale
Oil shale is an organic-rich fine-grained sedimentary rock containing kerogen (a solid mixture of organic chemical compounds) from which liquid hydrocarbons can be produced. In addition to kerogen, general composition of oil shales constitute ...
production was imminent, requiring large amounts of municipal and industrial water. For that reason, the Jensen Unit water supply was skewed to municipal and industrial water development. The development of of municipal and industrial water required the construction of the Burns Bench Pumping Plant. By the time that the dam and aqueduct were nearing completion, it was clear the oil shale production would not begin for some time. As a result, the Burns Bench Pumping Plant was not constructed, reducing the Jensen Unit municipal and industrial water supply to .
Of the municipal and industrial project water supply, the local water users could use only . In Section 203 (g) of the Central Utah Project Completion Act, Congress instructed the Department of the Interior to enter into a contract to reduce the municipal and industrial repayment obligation to and to describe the procedure for future marketing of the remaining municipal and industrial water. Congress also doubled the size of the conservation pool in
Red Fleet Reservoir to . The expanded conservation pool reduced the yield of the reservoir by and thereby reduced the unmarketed municipal and industrial supply to .
In the 1990s, Reclamation discovered that irrigation drains constructed as part of the project were delivering unacceptable levels of
selenium
Selenium is a chemical element with the symbol Se and atomic number 34. It is a nonmetal (more rarely considered a metalloid) with properties that are intermediate between the elements above and below in the periodic table, sulfur and tellurium, ...
to Stewart Lake. In 1999, Reclamation committed of the unmarketed municipal and industrial supply from the reservoir to Stewart Lake for mitigation purposes, which left an available unmarketed municipal and industrial supply of .
In recent years, oil production in the area has boomed, and oil shale production is approaching feasibility. Accordingly, water user interest in contracting for the remaining unmarketed municipal and industrial supply and the constructing the Burns Bench Pumping Plant has renewed.
The Jensen Unit, as constructed, consists of the Red Fleet Dam and Reservoir, the Tyzack Pumping Plant and Aqueduct, and the irrigation drains.
Red Fleet Dam and Reservoir
Construction of
Red Fleet Dam and Reservoir began in 1977 and was completed in 1980. About northeast of
Vernal, Utah
Vernal, the county seat and largest city in Uintah County is in northeastern Utah, approximately east of Salt Lake City and west of the Colorado border. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,089. The population has since grown to ...
, the dam is zoned earthfill with a structural height of above the bed of
Big Brush Creek
Big or BIG may refer to:
* Big, of great size or degree
Film and television
* Big (film), ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks
* ''Big!'', a Discovery Channel television show
* ''Richard Hammond's Big'', a television sh ...
. The crest length is long and wide. Red Fleet Reservoir has a total capacity of , of which is active storage. The reservoir has a surface area of at the normal water surface elevation of .
Tyzack Pumping Plant and Aqueduct
Tyzack Pumping Plant, near the downstream end of the outlet works of Red Fleet Dam, delivers water from the Red Fleet Reservoir through the discharge line to Ashley Valley Treatment Plant. It is designed to pump up to an average of annually. The aqueduct is a pressurized pipe extending from the pumping plant to Ashley Creek. Construction of both the pumping plant and the aqueduct were completed in 1983.
Irrigation drains
Drainage facilities were constructed for about of project land. The construction consists of of drains including of open outlet drains and of closed lateral drains. All drains have a design depth of about . The land requiring drains was identified as either drainage-deficient at the time of investigation or likely to develop deficiencies after, the project's development.
Vernal Unit
The Vernal Unit is located near Vernal, in the Ashley Valley of northeastern Utah. The Vernal Unit provides a supplemental water supply for the irrigation of about as well as of municipal and industrial water for the communities of Vernal,
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
, and
Maeser. Construction of the Vernal Unit began in 1959 and was completed in 1963. The Uintah Water Conservancy District operates the Vernal Unit.
The Vernal Unit consists of
Steinaker Dam and Reservoir and various diversion and conveyance facilities, including the Thornburgh Diversion Dam, the Steinaker Feeder Canal, and the Steinaker Service Canal.
Steinaker Dam and Reservoir
Flows of Ashley Creek are stored by Steinaker Dam, which was constructed off l-stream in Steinaker Draw. The dam is a zoned earthfill structure with a height of , a crest length of , and a volume of 1,892,000 cubic yards. Steinaker Reservoir has a total capacity of and a surface area of . In 1993, Steinaker Dam and Reservoir began modifications to comply with the Safety of Dams requirements. The modifications included excavating the clay foundation material downstream of the toe of the dam. Dam modification was completed in September 1994. The construction resulted in a stability berm at the downstream toe.
Diversion and Carriage Facilities
The Thornburgh Diversion Dam diverts water from Ashley Creek and conveys it eastward to the Steinaker Reservoir by the Steinaker Feeder Canal. Reservoir water is released to Steinaker Service Canal and conveyed south to existing canals and ditches.
Uintah and Upalco Units
Section 203(a) of the Central Utah Project Completion Act provided for the construction of the
Uinta Basin Replacement Project to replace, in part, the Uintah and Upalco Units, which have never been constructed. The Central Utah Water Conservancy District completed the construction of the primary features of the Uintah Basin Replacement Project in 2006.
Also, Public Law 107-366, enacted December 19, 2002, deauthorized the Uintah and Upalco Units, transferring the authorization to the Bonneville Unit for construction of the Uintah Basin Replacement Project, Utah Lake System, and other Central Utah Project Completion Act purposes.
Ute Indian Unit
The Ute Indian Unit included a pipeline from
Flaming Gorge Dam
Flaming Gorge Dam is a concrete thin-arch dam on the Green River, a major tributary of the Colorado River, in northern Utah in the United States. Flaming Gorge Dam forms the Flaming Gorge Reservoir, which extends into southern Wyoming, submergin ...
and Reservoir to the Uinta Basin. Because of both engineering and environmental challenges, the Ute Indian Unit was never constructed. Under the provisions of the
Ute Indian Rights Settlement, the United States settled with the
Ute Tribe
Ute () are the Indigenous people of the Ute tribe and culture among the Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin. They had lived in sovereignty in the regions of present-day Utah and Colorado in the Southwestern United States for many centuries unt ...
of the Uinta and Ouray Reservation for its failure to complete the Ute Indian Unit.
Recreation facilities
The reservoirs constructed as part of the Central Utah Project offer recreation opportunities.
Bonneville Unit
Jordanelle Dam and Reservoir
Jordanelle Reservoir
Jordanelle Reservoir is a reservoir in Wasatch County, Utah, United States, just north of Heber City.
Jordanelle Reservoir is fed and drained primarily by the Provo River, and is impounded by the Jordanelle Dam, an earthen dam. The construction ...
is the newest reservoir, constructed in the 1980s. There are two main developed recreation areas, Hailstone and Rock Cliff. Hailstone is a large campground and day-use area on the west side of the reservoir. It is the side that experiences the most intensive use, including walk-in and RV camping, motorized boating, personal watercraft launch area, three group use pavilions, 41 family picnic sites, and a marina store and restaurant. It is the favored location for boaters and RV campers. Rock Cliff Nature Center, along the Upper Provo River, includes a wetlands boardwalk and interpretive walk, walk-in camping, picnicking, river fishing, and bird watching in the riparian corridor. It offers visitors a quieter experience than Hailstone.
Recreation and public use at Jordanelle Reservoir is managed by the
Utah Division of Parks and Recreation
Utah State Parks is the common name for the Division of Utah State Parks and Recreation; a division of the Utah Department of Natural Resources. This is the state agency that manages the state park system of the U.S. state of Utah.
Utah's ...
under an agreement with Reclamation. Jordanelle offers ongoing interpretive programs for school-aged children as well as nature hikes and boating safety programs throughout the recreation season.
Utah State Parks reconstructed and expanded the boat ramp at Rock Cliff in 2004. Additional parking was also installed to accommodate the increasing numbers of visitors. The Rock Cliff Nature Center received a Conservation Assessment Program (CAP) grant from the
Institute of Museum and Library Services and Heritage Preservation. The nature center will use funds and CAP expertise to identify conservation needs of its collection and to recommend ways to improve collection conditions.
Soldier Creek Dam and Strawberry Reservoir
The
Strawberry Dam and Reservoir were enlarged in the 1980s under CRSPA authority, before the enactment of CUPCA. As part of Reclamation's commitment to provide recreation opportunities, new facilities were built. There are four main developed areas: Strawberry Bay, Soldier Creek, Renegade Point, and Aspen Grove.
*Strawberry Bay features 345 campsites. The picnic areas have shelters, l and there are evening interpretive programs available in the summer. There is an interpretive trail from the visitor center. A fish-cleaning station is available near the reservoir. In the winter, there are groomed snowmobile trails and ice fishing access. There are also a gas station, restaurant, a grocery store, and an amphitheater.
Renegade Point has 66 campsites and a trail from the campground leads to the eastern arm of the reservoir or south along Poison Ridge to Big Springs.
*Soldier Creek has 166 camp sites and 3 group picnic areas, some with shelters. Day use fishing is available on the northern and eastern sides of the lake, and there is a scenic overlook for those who wish to make a loop drive.
*Aspen Grove features 52 campsites"and a trail follows the shoreline back to the main part of the reservoir and Renegade Point. There are day-use areas nearby, along the Strawberry River and at Soldier Creek, near the dam. There is also a small marina store and fish cleaning station here.
Recreation management at Strawberry Reservoir is under the jurisdiction of the
US Forest Service
The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...
,
Uinta National Forest
Uinta National Forest is a national forest located in north central Utah, USA. It was originally part of the Uinta Forest Reserve, created by Grover Cleveland on 2 February 1897. The name is derived from the Ute word ''Yoov-we-teuh'' which ...
. The managed recreation season is May to October and there is high use on holidays, and weekends. Ice fishing is very popular during the winter months. Available fish species include rainbow and cutthroat trout. Strawberry Reservoir is considered by many to be Utah's premier trout fishing lake.
Starvation Dam and Reservoir
Starvation State Park
Fred Hayes State Park at Starvation (formerly Starvation State Park) is a state park in northeastern Utah, United States, featuring the Starvation Reservoir. The park is northwest of the town of Duchesne, Utah.
Facilities
The Starvation R ...
was established in 1972, two years after construction of the dam. The Utah Division of Parks and Recreation manages recreation at the reservoir under agreement with Reclamation. Facilities include 54 recreational vehicle (RV) sites (without utilities), 20 tent sites, group camp sites, a group day-use pavilion, RV waste disposal, showers, drinking water, modern restrooms, and vault toilets in more remote areas. There is an annual walleye fishing tournament that has become quite popular, with trophy fish being caught each year. The park and the reservoir offer numerous coves, remote beaches and unusually-blue water, which is actually the reflection of the sky. Off-road vehicle use is allowed in some areas; however, visitors should consult with State Park employees on areas that are open to use.
Currant Creek Dam and Reservoir
Currant Creek Reservoir is a high-elevation lake within a forest setting. Development began in 1977 with the construction of an earth-fill dam, and the reservoir finished filling in 1982. The reservoir shoreline is 85 percent under the jurisdiction of the US Forest Service, with the remaining 15 percent being private with restricted access. Recreation management at Currant Creek is also under the jurisdiction of the US Forest Service, Uinta National Forest.
There is a campground at the reservoir, with 49 campsites, tent sites, picnic areas, swimming, toilets, and a boat ramp. Winter access is restricted, and as the canyon is not plowed.
Upper Stillwater Dam and Reservoir
Upper Stillwater Reservoir
Upper Stillwater Reservoir is a large high mountain reservoir on the south slope of the High Uintas in Duchesne County, Utah. The reservoir is part of the Central Utah Project.
The reservoir was created in 1987 by the construction of a concret ...
is another high-mountain reservoir that has one main campground, Rock Creek. The reservoir serves as a popular trailhead into the
High Uintas Wilderness
The High Uintas Wilderness is a wilderness area located in northeastern Utah, United States. The wilderness covers the Uinta Mountains, encompassing parts of Duchesne and Summit counties. Designated as a wilderness in 1984, the area is located wi ...
Area, with the boundary only one mile north of the dam, near the high water line for the reservoir. Recreation management is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service,
Ashley National Forest
Ashley National Forest is a National Forest located in northeastern Utah and southwestern Wyoming. Within the Forest's bounds are (with in Utah and in Wyoming) of vast forests, lakes, and mountains, with elevations ranging from . The forest ...
. The managed recreation season is from June to September with high use on holidays and weekends. Available fish species include rainbow, brown, and brook trout.
Jensen Unit
Red Fleet Dam and Reservoir
Red Fleet Reservoir, near
Vernal, Utah
Vernal, the county seat and largest city in Uintah County is in northeastern Utah, approximately east of Salt Lake City and west of the Colorado border. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,089. The population has since grown to ...
, is the principal feature of the Jensen Unit. Recreation management at Red Fleet Reservoir is performed by the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation, under an agreement with Reclamation. Facilities include a small sandy beach, boat launching ramp, two modern rest rooms, 29 campsites, 32 covered picnic tables, and fish cleaning and sewage disposal stations. A dinosaur track way, dating back 200 million years, was discovered on the east side of the reservoir.
Vernal Unit - Steinaker Dam and Reservoir
Steinaker Reservoir near Vernal, is the principal feature of the Vernal Unit. Recreation at Steinaker Reservoir is managed by the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation under an agreement with Reclamation. The park was opened to the public in 1964. Sandy beaches, swimming, boating, and waterskiing top the list of activities. Year-round fishing is for rainbow trout and largemouth bass.
Facilities include a boat launching ramp, modern restrooms, sewage disposal station, 31 individual campsites, and two group-use pavilions. An accessibility evaluation has been completed at Steinaker Reservoir.
External links
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References
{{CRSP
History of Utah
Colorado River Storage Project
Historic American Engineering Record in Utah
Interbasin transfer