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Show SUMMARY ( ) Draft ( X) Final Environmental Statement Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Region 1. Type of Action: ( X) Administrative ( ) Legislative 2. Brief Description of Action: The Bonneville Unit is part of the Central Utah Project's initial phase, which was authorized for construction as a participating project with the Colorado River Storage Project by the Act of April 11, 1956. It includes developments in both the Uinta and Bonneville Basins with a diversion of Uinta Basin water to the Bonneville Basin-- an area with more people but less water. All or part of 12 Utah counties would be involved in the Unit including: Uintah, Duchesne, Wasatch, Summit, Utah, Salt Lake$ Juab, Millard, Sevier, Piute, Sanpete, and Garfield, Features would include ten new reservoirs and enlargement of two existing reservoirs; 140 miles of aqueducts, tunnels, and canals; three powerplants; nine pumping plants; 13 miles of dike; and 200 miles of pipe drains. The Unit would develop water for irrigation, municipal and industrial needs, and power production; and would provide recreation, fish and wildlife, flood control, water quality control, and area redevelopment benefits. The developed water supply would fulfill the project objective of supplying immediate and projected water needs. Construction of the Unit began in March 1967 and is about 16 percent complete, including two major dams and about 7 miles of tunnel and aqueduct. About 21 years would be required to complete all proposed features. 3. Summary of Environmental Impacts and Adverse Environmental Effects: Construction and operation of the Bonneville Unit would cause significant changes in the natural environment of the area. In 11 Uinta Basin streams there would be a reduction of flows in about 100 miles of waterway, sometimes below minimums suggested by fishery biologists. A significant amount of quality fishing and stream recreation would be lost. The diking of two Utah Lake bays to reduce evaporation losses would reduce lake area by one- third and adversely affect a substantial amount of high quality fish and wildlife habitat. Additional fish and wildlife habitat would be lost by reservoir inundation of 22,000 acres of land and 10 miles of streams. Conversely, reservoir fishing and related water- oriented sports would be substantially increased. Construction of some features would cause extensive land disturbance and would permanently alter existing esthetics. Salinity of the Colorado River would be increased ( 1) by diversion to Bonneville Basin and increased consumptive use in Uinta Basin which would deplete the river supply and ( 2) by increased salt load of return flows in the Uinta Basin. Recreational use of National Forest land would increase as a result of improved access and additional facilities provided by Unit development. The Bonneville Unit would facilitate continued industrial and population growth in the Wasatch Front portion of the Bonneville Basin. Attendant to the growth would be an increase in social and pollution problems related to population concentration. Distribution of water by the Unit could also influence growth and development of other areas of the State, particularly the Sevier River and Uinta Basins. 4. Alternatives Considered: a. Alternative sources of water, ( 1) within the Bonneville Unit area, ( 2) within the Bonneville Basin, and ( 3) augmentation of Bonneville Basin water supply, from other basins. b. Non- construction of authorized Unit beyond features already constructed. c. Various scales of partial construction of authorized Unit. d. Alternative location or design of features of proposed plan. 5. List of Entities from Whom Comments Have Been Requested or Received: See attached list. 6. Date Made Available to CEQ and the Public; Draft statement: August 14, 1972 Final statement: August 2, 1973 M1WWL HE UTAH LIBRARIES |