ALTAMONT, Duchesne County — The enlargement of Sandwash Reservoir, a water-storage project that began on paper over 15 years ago, is wrapping up in Duchesne County.
The enlargement doubles the reservoir's size, at 24,000 acre-feet, and is essentially complete with the final inspection of the reservoir's inlet gates.
"We had to visually see the gate operate, make sure it opened and closed all the way and sealed properly," said Kirk Beecher, project manager for the Central Utah Water Conservancy District. "The gate is underneath the water, and the operator is on top of the dam. We had to make sure it all functioned properly, and it did."
The reservoir, located about five miles south of Altamont, is now being filled. Under construction for the past three years, Sandwash Reservoir will be ready for summer recreational activities in 2007.
"We'll put in as much water as we can this winter," said Beecher, adding that the spillway elevation of 5,918 feet is the level that could be reached, if there is enough water. This is the second fill for the newly expanded reservoir. The first fill was drained to allow officials to examine the inlet gates.
The increased size of the reservoir will offer water storage for irrigators of some 15,000 acres, along with municipal-industrial water for Roosevelt and enhanced opportunities for boaters and anglers. The majority of the $50 million-plus federally approved project is funded through the Central Utah Water Conservancy District.
Cement shortages, freezing winter weather and change orders put the project several months behind its original completion date of 2005. But the work on the clay-core dam was judged to be top quality, said Beecher.
"It's a very good reservoir and dam; they are very well constructed, and we feel very good about the work they have done," he said, referring to contractors W.W. Clyde and Obioshi.
The water-storage construction project included more than just the enlargement of the reservoir. A diversion structure was constructed first. It is similar to a small dam and has the ability to divert river flows year round from the Lake Fork River into an adjoining pipeline was constructed first.
Roads near the reservoir were moved and widened, and a pipeline to take municipal water 16 miles to Roosevelt is still under construction but could be ready ahead of schedule, said Beecher.
"The Roosevelt pipeline is about 38 percent complete," he said. "The contractor has until September 2008 to complete it, but he feels like he will be done about a year ahead of that."
The pipeline from Sandwash into Roosevelt will free up culinary water for the city to sell to the newly formed Cedarview-Montwell Special Service District.
The Sandwash to Roosevelt pipeline goes from the base of the reservoir and follows a road through Upalco. Just south of Upalco, it turns east and goes down the old Poleline Road east to the Roosevelt Airport.
The pipeline will provide secondary water to the city golf course, Constitution Park and city cemetery.
E-mail: lezleewhiting@hotmail.com