The preliminary studies are in and the vote has been taken. The two "preferred alternatives" for water development projects in Uintah and Duchesne counties are the Talmage Alternative on the Upalco Unit and the Lower Uintah River Alternative on the Uintah Unit.
The two preferred alternatives for the Uintah Basin Replacement Project (UBRP) were officially approved last month by the Central Utah Water Conservancy (CUWCD) District Board of Directors. That action came despite resolutions submitted by the Duchesne County Commission, the Duchesne County Water Users and the Moon Lake Water Users Associations favoring the Whiterocks Alternative over the Lower Uinta River plans.To accommodate those water users, however, the board gave "special direction to consider moving some features and incorporating other features as along as the environmental impact statement and economics worked out," said Terry Holzworth, UBRP manager for the district.
"The process gives us that much flexibility," Holzworth noted. "My task is to find the combination of features between those two alternatives that everyone can agree on. We want to have it developed in a combination of features that everyone can support."
Not only will the two preferred alternatives receive an in-depth environmental analysis, he said, each of the five alternatives still remaining will receive "the same level of study." Three of the alternatives are on the Uintah Unit, while four remain on the Upalco Unit. Nine alternatives were initially identified.
The selection of the preferred alternatives is a major milestone in the process of identifying which of the seven, alternative, multimillion-dollar water-development projects may actually come to fruition. Holzworth said that at this point, it is still "a name thing we have to have something to base the document on. Once all seven are evaluated, then you have a real basis for selection."
Ideally, he said, all that work would have been done before the preferred alternatives were named, but due to time constraints and unexpected delays - which have already thrown the process about six months behind schedule - Holzworth said planners "didn't have that luxury."
The draft environmental impact statement is due by July 24. The final EIS must be completed by Oct, 27, Holzworth said.
Engineering work is being done along with the environmental analysis through the cooperative efforts of CUWCD consultants CH2M Hill and Ute tribal consultants Stetson Engineers.
The preferred alternative on the Uintah Unit calls for construction of a 45,000 acre-foot reservoir on the Uintah River near the Moon Lake Electric power plant; canal rehabilitation; the stabilization of five high mountain lakes; construction of a new feeder pipeline from the Ouray Park Canal diversion to Bullock to Cottonwood to Brough Reservoir to convey winter instream flow water to Pelican Lake.
Proposed enhancement features of this alternative include habitat acquisition along Deep Creek and Farm Creek, upgrading the dams and dredging at Big Spring Ponds, as well as improving campground sites, developing a nature trail, providing handicap access at the Beaver Pond on the Uinta River and constructing a nature center at Roosevelt.
The preferred alternative on the Upalco Unit would involve construction of a 30,000 acre-foot reservoir on the Yellowstone River at the Crystal Ranch site. The dike on Twin Pots reservoir would be repaired to maintain a more reliable surface elevation and a minimum conservation pool.
It also entails stabilization water levels of 10 lakes in the Uinta Mountains, enlarging Big Sandwash Reservoir, improving irrigation canals around the community of Talmage and remodeling diversions that will maintain year-round flows in river stretches that traditionally dry up in summer.
Enhancement features called for in the Talmage Alternative include improvement of big game winter range on Monarch Bench and Towanta Flats, construction of a campground, boat ramp, sanitation facilities and inlet screen at Midview Reservoir.