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Introduction

The Central Utah Project is a United States federal water project. It was authorized for construction under the Colorado River Storage Project Act of April 11, 1956 (CRSPA) (Public Law 485, [70 Stat. 105])as a participating project. In general, the Central Utah Project develops (makes use of) a portion of Utah's share of the yield of the Colorado River as set out in the Colorado River Compact of 1922.

As originally planned and authorized, the Central Utah Project consisted of six units or sub-projects: the Bonneville Unit, the Jensen Unit, the Vernal Unit, the Uintah Unit, the Upalco Unit, and Ute Indian Unit. The largest and most complex is the Bonneville Unit which diverts water from the Uinta Basin, a part of the Colorado River Basin, to the Great Basin. The other units were designed to provide for development of local water suppplies in the Uinta Basin.

The Central Utah Project develops water for irrigation, municipal and industrial use, stream flows, and power generation. The project also provides recreation, fish and wildlife, flood control, water conservation, and water quality benefits.

The following describes each of the units of the Central Utah Project:

Bonneville Unit

Central Utah Project Completion Act

Legislation introduced in 1991 by the Utah congressional delegation to increase the ceiling to allow completion of the Bonneville Unit of the CUP was passed on October 30, 1992, as P.L. 102 575, Central Utah Project Completion Act (CUPCA). The legislation dictates that: the Central Utah Water Conservancy District (District) to will plan and construct the remaining CUP Bonneville Unit features; the Secretary of the Department of the Interior will oversee the District’s planning and construction efforts; and the District and/or Interior may contract with Reclamation for planning, inspection, or other work. The Department of Interior’s CUPCA Office and the District have planned the remaining portion of the project prioritized remaining work items to ensure that the Bonneville Unit is completed most important work is accomplished first under the remaining funding authorization ceiling.

Utah Lake System

The Utah Lake Drainage Basin Water Delivery System (ULS) is the final phase of the Bonneville Unit. After completion of the ULS, the Bonneville Unit will deliver 101,900 acre-feet of water from the Strawberry Reservoir to the Wasatch Front area. The ULS was first announced in a Federal Register notice on October 14, 1998. On September 30, 2004, the Department of the Interior filed the ULS Final Environmental Impact Statement and on December 22, 2004, the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science signed the ULS Record of Decision. Contracts for implementation of the ULS have been negotiated and were executed on March 15, 2005. Construction of the ULS is planned to begin in the spring of 2007. The District completed the final planning document (the Supplement to the 1988 Definite Plan Report for the Bonneville Unit) which was approved by the CUPCA Office and Reclamation on November 19, 2004.

Lease of Power Privilege at Jordanelle Dam

As early as 1979, Bonneville Unit environmental documents specifically described the construction and operation of a hydroelectric facility below Jordanelle Dam--a principal facility of the Bonneville Unit. By 1987, Reclamation had decided to defer construction of the Jordanelle Hydropower Project until the construction and operation could be accomplished under a lease of power privilege (LOPP)—a partnership among public and private entities to provide for the non-federal generation of power on Reclamation facilities. The general authority for lease of power privilege under Bureau of Reclamation law includes, among others, the Town Sites and power Development Act of 1906 (43 U.S.C. 522) and the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 (43 U.S.C. 485h(c)). The LOPP is an alternative to development of federal hydropower and grants the lessee the right to use, consistent with project purposes, water power head and storage for non-federal electric power generation and sale by the lessee.

In 2000, through a process of requesting and reviewing proposals, the Department of the Interior and the Western Area Power Administration selected the District and Heber Light & Power as joint potential lessees for power development at Jordanelle. Interior and the lessees executed a lease agreement in 2005, after approval of the environmental assessment for the project. Fabrication of the turbines and generators began late in 2005 and construction of the building began in late 2006. The project is expected to be fully operationally by summer of 2008.

Dams and Reservoirs

The Bonneville Unit includes five dams and reservoirs--Jordanelle, Strawberry, Starvation, Currant Creek, and Upper Stillwater. Each has recreation facilities.

Jordanelle Dam and Reservoir

Jordanelle Reservoir is the newest reservoir, constructed in the 1980s. There are two main developed recreation areas, Hailstone and Rock Cliff. Hailstone is a large campground and day-use area on the west side of the reservoir. This is the side that experiences the most intensive use including walk-in and RV camping, motorized boating, personal watercraft launch area, three group use pavilions, 41 family picnic sites, and a marina store and restaurant. It is the favored location for boaters and RV campers. Rock Cliff Nature Center, along the Upper Provo River, includes a wetlands boardwalk and interpretive walk, walk-in camping, picnicking, river fishing, and bird watching in the riparian corridor. It offers visitors a quieter experience than Hailstone.

Recreation and public use at Jordanelle Reservoir is managed by the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation under an agreement with Reclamation. Jordanelle offers ongoing interpretive programs for school-age children, nature hikes, and boating safety programs throughout the recreation season.

Utah State Parks re-constructed and expanded the boat ramp at Rock Cliff in 2004. Additional parking was also installed to accommodate the increasing numbers of visitors. The Rock Cliff Nature Center received a Conservation Assessment Program (CAP) grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Heritage Preservation. The nature center will use funds and CAP expertise to identify conservation needs of its collection and recommend ways to correctly improve collection conditions.

Soldier Creek Dam and Strawberry Reservoir

Strawberry Dam and Reservoir were enlarged in the 1980s under CRSPA authority—before the enactment of CUPCA. As part of Reclamation’s commitment to provide recreation opportunities, new facilities were built. There are four main developed areas, Strawberry Bay, Soldier Creek, Renegade Point, and Aspen Grove. Reservations for many of the camp loops at Strawberry can be made through the website www.ReserveUSA.com.

• Strawberry Bay features 345 campsites. The picnic areas have shelters and there are evening interpretive programs available in the summer. There’s an interpretive trail from the visitor center. A fish-cleaning station is available near the reservoir. In the winter there are groomed snowmobile trails and ice fishing access. There’s also a gas station, restaurant, and grocery store and an amphitheater.

• Renegade Point has 66 campsites and a trail from the campground leads to the eastern arm of the reservoir or south along Poison Ridge to Big Springs.

• Soldier Creek has 166 camp sites and 3 group picnic areas, some with shelters. Day use fishing is available on the northern and eastern sides of the lake, and there’s a scenic overlook for those who wish to make a loop drive.

• Aspen Grove features 52 campsites and a trail follows the shoreline back to the main part of the reservoir and Renegade Point. There are day use areas nearby along the Strawberry River and at Soldier Creek near the dam. There’s also a small marina store and fish cleaning station here.

Recreation management at Strawberry Reservoir is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service, Uinta National Forest. The managed recreation season is May through October and there is high use on holidays and weekends. Ice fishing is very popular during the winter months. Available fish species include rainbow and cutthroat trout. Strawberry Reservoir is considered by many to be Utah’s premier trout fishing lake.

Starvation Dam and Reservoir

Starvation State Park was established in 1972, two years after construction of the dam. The Utah Division of Parks and Recreation manages recreation at the reservoir under agreement with Reclamation. Facilities include 54 recreational vehicle (RV) sites (without utilities), 20 tent sites, group camp sites, a group day use pavilion, RV waste disposal, showers, drinking water, modern restrooms, and vault toilets in more remote areas. There is an annual walleye fishing tournament that has become quite popular with trophy fish being caught each year. The park and reservoir offer numerous coves, remote beaches and unusually blue water. Off-road vehicle use is allowed in some areas; however, visitors should consult with State Park employees on areas that are open to use.

Currant Creek Dam and Reservoir

Currant Creek Reservoir is a high elevation lake within a forest setting. Development began in 1977 with the construction of an earth-fill dam, and the reservoir finished filling in 1982. The reservoir shoreline is 85 percent under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service, with the remaining 15 percent private with restricted access. Recreation management at Currant Creek is also under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service, Uinta National Forest. There is a campground at the reservoir with 49 campsites, tent sites, picnic areas, swimming, toilets, and a boat ramp. Winter access is restricted as the canyon is not plowed.

Upper Stillwater Dam and Reservoir

Upper Stillwater is another high mountain reservoir that has one main campground, Rock Creek. The reservoir serves as a popular trailhead into the High Uintas Wilderness Area with the boundary only one mile north of the dam near the high water line for the reservoir. Recreation management is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service, Ashley National Forest. The managed recreation season is from June through September with high use on holidays and weekends. Available fish species include rainbow, brown, and brook trout.

Jensen Unit

Red Fleet Reservoir near Vernal, Utah, is the principal feature of the Jensen Unit. Recreation management at Red Fleet Reservoir is performed by the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation under an agreement with the Reclamation. Facilities include a small sandy beach, boat launching ramp, two modern rest rooms, 29 campsites, 32 covered picnic tables, and fish cleaning and sewage disposal stations. A dinosaur track way dating back 200 million years was discovered on the east side of the reservoir.

Vernal Unit

Steinaker Reservoir near Vernal, Utah, is the principal feature of the Vernal Unit. Recreation at Steinaker Reservoir is managed by the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation under an agreement with the Reclamation. The park was opened to the public in 1964. Sandy beaches, swimming, boating, and waterskiing top the list of activities. Year-round fishing is for rainbow trout and largemouth bass. Facilities include a boat launching ramp, modern restrooms, sewage disposal station, 31 individual campsites, and two group-use pavilions. An accessibility evaluation has been completed at Steinaker Reservoir.

Uintah and Upalco Units

Section 203(a) of CUPCA provided for the construction of the Uinta Basin Replacement Project to replace, in part, the Uintah and Upalco Units which have never been constructed. The Central Utah Water Conservancy District completed construction of the primary features of the Uintah Basin Replacement Project in 2006. Also, Public Law 107-366, enacted December 19, 2002, deauthorized the Uintah and Upalco Units, transferring the authorization to the Bonneville Unit for construction of the Uintah Basin Replacement Project, ULS, and other CUPCA purposes.

Ute Indian Unit

The Ute Indian Unit included a pipeline from Flaming Gorge Dam and Reservoir to the Uinta Basin. Because of both engineering and environmental challenges, the Ute Indian Unit was never constructed. Under the provisions of the Ute Indian Rights Settlement, the United States settled with the Ute Tribe of the Uinta and Ouray Reservation for its failure to complete the Ute Indian Unit.