OCR Text |
Show would reduce by 10,840 acres the amount of land that would receive full irrigation service from the unit in Utah and Juab Counties. In order to convey water to the Sevier River Basin, a 29-mile canal from near the Nephi area to the existing Sevier Bridge Reservoir on the Sevier River would have to be built, and a pumping plant at Nephi would have to be enlarged. Irrigation in the Sevier River Basin would be accomplished both by exchange of water with upstream reservoirs and by direct irrigation from the Sevier Bridge Reservoir. It now appears that construction costs of the Bonneville Unit with the Sevier River modifications would be $4,430,000 less than without the modification. The saving results from elimination of some pumping plants and canals in the Mosida subarea and some other minor features. The benefit cost ratio will remain constant at 1.34:1 under either the original or the modified plan. The Central Utah Water Conservancy District was organized March 2, 1964, in the Fourth Judicial District Court of Utah and a 17-member Board of Directors was appointed by the court. The repayment contract was approved by the Conservancy District, the Secretary of the Interior, and the local people by public vote in December 1965. The contract was then signed on December 28, 1965, and validated on February 17, 1966, in the Fourth Judicial District Court of Utah. On May 12, 1967, the proposed Sevier River extension was accepted by the Central Utah Water Conservancy District and five Utah counties were added to the District. A director for this area was subsequently appointed by a Federal judge. Construction Activities In the spring of 1966 a headquarters was established at Duchesne, Utah, for supervision of construction of Bonneville Unit. A temporary construction campsite was selected adjacent to the community, and during the summer and fall months streets and utilities were provided and trailers and mobile housing units installed. Ground breaking ceremonies for the Bonneville Unit were held at Starvation damsite on May 31, 1967. Early in 1967 bids were taken by the Bureau of Reclamation and construction awards made as follows: (1) Starvation Dam - March 7, 1967, to Goodfellow Bros., Inc., on bid of $8,182,750. 118 |