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Show 4. In July, 1978, our CRCUP group challenged the Bureau of Reclamation on the issue of diking the two Utah Lake valuable marsh/wetlands on the basis of non-compliance with the President's Executive Order #11990 to protect Wetlands. University, and Agency wildlife aquatic, wildlife, and limnology experts, who are independent of the State development philosophy and policy, have objected to the destruction of the unique biological resources associated with this inland fresh water lake*.CRCUP was supporting their concern as well as those of fishermen and hunters and birdwatchers. In August, 1978, CRCUP and Sierra Club members --.learned that the Bureau was preparing a Draft EIS on the proposed Jordanelle M & I System but was excluding the Utah Lake diking issue from consideration. When members from CRCUP and the Sierra Club met with Bureau staff people to question the justification for this procedure, we were informed that it was based on recommendations resulting from the 1974 SierraClub/ Natural Resources Defense Council versus Stamm suit. Recommendation of the suit were that the remaining "systems" in the Bonneville Unit have EIS preparations. Did the term Utah Lake Irrigation System stem from this suit? Even some Bureau of Reclamation employees were stunned that a Draft EIS on the Jordanelle M & I System could be presented in an EIS and exclude the Utah Lake diking. Questions 1. Does this move constitute a change of planning which is "allowable" under Project authorization? 2. If the Bureau and Water Conservancy District foresee possible elimination of the diking of Utah Lake**, and can carry out the Jordanelle System project development before It is determined whether the now-called Utah Lake Irrigation System can be implemented, will the Bonneville Unit be too far along in development (20$ now) that reauthorization which might be required would be thwarted? How can one determine plans ahead? 3. What happens to the tie-in with the Strawberry Collection System? *Although a one million dollar, two-year research project on Utah Lake is being carried out by Brigham Youhg University and the State Division of Wildlife Resources, and all necessary scientific equipment has not been acquired, the Water Conservancy District is pressuring to get this "unnecessary" research completed so they can "get on with the development". **Lillian Hayes, wife of a geologist in Provo, who has been trying to monitor Water Conservancy District meetings and plans under conditions of meetings held but not-announced, minutes of meetings "not yet typed up" and therefore not available, etc. overheard a Conservancy District member say "they had other plans for Utah Lake". |
