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Show 4. I presume, then, that diking of Utah Lake would come under Irrigation and Drainage System. Question Which has legal priority - NEPA or a suit? It is my understanding that the whole of a pay-back Unit, i.e., the Bonneville Unit would be the basis for an EIS preparation. The Bonneville Unit, per se, is the basis used to obtain funding, even though funding is obtained for separate projects within the Unit. Under the procedures being followed by the Bureau of Reclamation, now, certain questions can be asked. 1. What is the validity of maintaining the unity of all systems to justify individual purposes tied in with the main purpose (whatever that now turns out to be) when the individual systems and purposes are then to be examined separately by the public? On what basis is the public to make a recommendation? The Bureau is now saying that the public is to comment on the Jordanelle-Provo River M & I System, per se. Later it is to comment on the Utah Lake Irrigation System, per se and still later, or perhaps earlier, comment on the Diamond Fork Power System, per se. What will be the basis on which the public will comment? The fact that the federal government will be enabled to supply M & I water to Salt Lake County via the Jordanelle Reservoir Project? Of course it will, but what of available water alternatives known to exist and documented to exist in Salt Lake County? If these alternatives exist - through efficient State water management, why then is there a need to dike two marshes on Utah Lake and save evaporated water when there is already available water in Salt Lake County without this process? But since public comment will be restricted to exclude diking Utah Lake, the purpose of the diking is unrelated - except to itself! When it comes time to comment on the Utah Lake Irrigation System, is one to be commenting on a self-enclosed irrigation system, even though this wasnft the initial purpose of the diking, or is public comment coming in after-the-fact? And by that time, what agricultural lands are to be irrigated? What choice remains? Since farmers in the area are already selling water rights at good prices for IPP and U P & L poMtr development, and are therefor*losing their irrigated lands t what is the evaporated-waters-saving going to irrigate? What- and how much land and with what and how much water - and from where? |
