Provo River/Utah Lake Special Studies Program
The Special Studies Program of the Completion Act consists of studies designed to evaluate environmental mitigation/enhancement and water efficiency/conservation in the Provo River/Utah Lake drainage. These studies are:
The Daniels Replacement Pipeline, which provides replacement water to the Daniel Irrigation Company in Wasatch County. This replacement supply allows natural stream flow to be re-established in the Upper Strawberry.
The Wasatch County Water Efficiency Project, which provides for implementation of improvements in the management, delivery, and treatment of water in Wasatch County.
The Utah Lake Salinity Control Study, which will determine alternatives for reducing the salinity of the lake to offset all CUP-related impacts.
The Provo River Studies, which requires a hydrologic analysis of the river basin and the preparation of a computer model of the river system that will analyze the operation of the river, recognizing the hydrology and water rights associated with it.
The Increased Project Water Study, which will procure up to 25,000 acre-feet of water rights in the Provo River drainage to allow for a 75 cubic-feet per second stream flow from the Olmsted Diversion to Utah Lake year round. This would provide instream flows for fish and wildlife.
The Provo River High Flows Study, which will develop a plan to reduce the peak season flows in the Provo River between Deer Creek Reservoir and the Olmsted Diversion to protect the existing blue ribbon fishery.
Irrigation and Drainage System Improvements
The Central Utah Project Completion Act has $150 million authorized for constructoin of a Main Conveyance Aqueduct, which will benefit agricultural, industrial and municipal water users in southern Utah County and Juab County.
The water delivered through the Diamond Fork System continues to deliver irrigation water to supplement existing supplies in Juab and Utah counties through a Main Conveyance Aqueduct. This water will help stabilize the area's agricultural economy.
In conjunction with the planning for the I&D system, local canals and ditches are being studied and evaluated. Improvements derived from CUPCA funding may include piping ditches to reduce water loss and create pressure, allowing for the use of sprinklers. Local water-user organizations, such as the Strawberry Water Users Association, High Line Canal Company, Summit Creek Irrigation Company, North Canyon Irrigation Company, Nephi Irrigaton Company and many others are studying the possibilities. Also working with the irrigation companies are the U.S. Soil Conservation Service and the Utah Division of Water Resources.
With improved ditches and water-delivery systems, farmers also will be able to convert to improved water-management systems resulting in higher efficiencies.
Uinta Basin to See Gains
The CUP Completion Act authorizes funding for studies and development of projects that will provide water storage and additional water to the Uinta Basin in northeastern Utah.
Called the Uinta Basin Replacement Project, this portion of the Act includes construction of irrigation water-diversion facilities on the Duchesne and Strawberry Rivers. It also provides for canal rehabilitation and construction of on- and off-stream storage in the Lake Fork-Yellowstone and Uinta-Whiterocks drainages. Environmental enhancement and conservation features will be included.
Another important feature of the replacement project is that it provides facilities to store spring runoff water to use in July or August when water supplies are limited.