WSP04531

• File Number: 8220.111.A
• Description: Central Utah Participating Project
• State: UT
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 2/28/1951
• Author: USDOI-BOR
• Title: Central Utah Project A Supplement to the Colorado River Storage Project Report
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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SYNOPSIS

The increased cost of constructing Soldier Creek Dam to the ultimate
hbight in the initial phase, which cost would be allocated with other
ultimate phase costs, would be repaid from revenues of the ultimate phase,
aided as necessary from the Upper Colorado River Account. If the ultimate
phase is not construct~d, the increased cost could be repaid from initial
phase power revenues in less than 4 years after initial phase costs were
repaid or it could be repaid from the Upper Colorado River Account.

One or more conservancy districts formed under the laws of utah
could contract for repayment of irrigation and municipal water costs. A
conservancy district could assess the W8~er users for direct benefits as
outlined in the report and in addition could levy an ad valorem tax on
property within the district as a means of raising additional revenue
for the project as a return for some of the indirect benefits it creates.

Conclusions

Continued development of the extensive land and mineral resources
of the Bonneville and Uinta Basins is dependent on an increased supply
of regulated and controlled water for irrigation, municipal, industrial,
and other miscellaneous uses, and on an increased supply of electric
energy. The Central Utah project would provide the water and part of
the power needed in both basins. It affords the only practicable means
of providing a substantial "quantity of n~w water for the Bonneville Basin,
without which future increases in water use for municipal, industrial,
and other miscellaneous purposes in the project area south of Salt Lake
City would necessitate corresponding reductions in the present inadequate
supply of irrigation water.

The project is feasible from an engineering standpoint. Investiga-
tions of the initial phase show it to be economically justified. The
ratio of evaluated benefits to costs of the initial phase is estimated
at 1.2 to 1.0 exclusive of intangible benefits and unevaluated benefits
to !ndian and some other lands in the Uinta Basin which would receive
exchange water from the project.

The Jordan River channel improvement and the diking of Goshen Bay
of Utah Lake, authorized as features of the Provo River project but not
yet undertaken, should be approved as features of the Central utah
project. The channe:). improvement should be authorized for construction
in the initial phase.

Construction of the Soldier Creek Dam in the initial phase to the
full height required for the comprehensive development and the alloc~tion
of the increased cost with other ultimate phase costs is justified by the
saving in cost that would result frcm one-stage construction. If the

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