CUPCA

Wasatch County Water Efficiency Project

The development of Heber Valley's water resources has offered Central Utah Water Conservancy District (CUWCD) unique opportunities to meet goals and mandates of the Central Utah Project Completion Act (CUPCA). The Wasatch County Water Efficiency Project (WCWEP) was planned to dramatically reduce irrigation water use by making pressurized water available for sprinkler conversions. Conveyance losses would also be cut as aged canals were lined and rehabilitated. Water conserved would be used to meet three particular goals: 1) help meet the CUPCA mandate of water conservation, 2) bolster in-stream flows in five Heber Valley streams, and 3) replace the historical source of Daniels Irrigation Company's water diverted from the Strawberry River. The termination of the 100-year-old Daniels Diversion was mandated by CUPCA and has been included in WCWEP planning from the outset.

Downloadable brochure in PDF format (print to 11x17)

WCWEP was addressed in an Environmental Impact Statement published in June1996 and finalized in November of the same year. Horrocks Engineers, in conjunction with Carollo Engineers and Montgomery Watson Americas, designed the project, and the bidding process was carried out in the summer of 1998, with the $27 million contract awarded to Barnard Construction Company, Inc. of Butte, Montana. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held October 29, 1998. CUWCD's resident engineer for the project was Karen M. Ricks, P.E.

Following the 1999 construction season, CUWCD and Barnard Construction mutually agreed to rescind the remainder of their contract, and CUWCD assumed the role of general contractor December 12, 1999. CUWCD designated work complete to that date "Phase I." The on-farm piping and laterals became known as Phase II, and the Daniels Replacement Project was termed Phase III. Phase II was further subdivided into "schedules" or areas of the Heber Valley, and both Phase II and Phase III were rebid in January, 2000. Condie Construction was awarded contracts for Phase II Schedules I, II, and III; Counterpoint Construction was successful bidder for Phase II Schedule IV; and H.E. Davis was awarded the Daniels Replacement Project (Phase III). Work on Phases II and III proceeded under the new contractors in February, 2000.

Ms. Ricks left the project in June 2000, and was succeeded by Kirk Beecher, P.E., formerly with Horrocks Engineers. Miscellaneous remaining flumes, piping, and earthwork details were combined into "Phase IV," and that project was successfully bid September 2000, by S & L Landscaping & Excavation. Construction activities have continued without interruption throughout 2000, and currently CUWCD engineers anticipate project completion well before the original Fall 2001 contract deadline and under the original contract budget.