| OCR Text |
Show addition, by agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation, natural high flow diversions to Strawberry Project lands are limited to provide more efficient use of this water in other areas. With the exception of flood waters and winter flows, all natural flows are diverted for irrigation, power, and municipal and industrial use in southern Utah Valley. During the summer months imported water from Uinta Basin released from Strawberry Reservoir via the Strawberry Tunnel, Sixth Water Creek, and Diamond Fork enters the river and is conveyed to two hydroelectric plants and thence to irrigated lands in the valley. An average of 6l, 000 acre- feet per year with increased flows of kQO to 500 second- feet have been added to the system since about 1920. This extra water in the system during the summer months has created erosion and sedimentation problems in the stream channels, particularly in the upper reaches of Diamond Fork and Sixth Water Creek. Fluctuations in the streamflow of the river system caused by the variation of quantities of water released from Strawberry Reservoir creates a hazard to campers and fishermen downstream. Future operation of the Spanish Fork River without the Bonneville Unit could be expected to follow the pattern established during the past years. Periods of above normal flow would continue to occur in Sixth Water Creek, Diamond Fork, and in the section of the Spanish Fork River above the irrigation diversions due to the importation of water from Strawberry Reservoir. During the late summer and fall season sections of the river below the diversions down to Utah Lake would continue to be dewatered by irrigation diversions, as they have in the past. In years of excessively high runoff sections of the river would continue to experience some flooding conditions. Erosion problems and the hazard to campers associated with the erratic release of water from Strawberry Reservoir to the river system would persist in the future about the same as in the past. Utah Lake Utah Lake was first developed as a storage reservoir for use in Jordan Valley in 1872 when a low dam was placed across its Jordan River outlet at the north end of the lake. The dam sometimes caused the lake to rise above its normal elevation during high inflow years flooding lakeshore Hands. The resulting conflict between the landowners and the water users was 177 |
