Municipal and Industrial System, Bonneville Unit, Central Utah Project, Utah: correspondence and documents, 1979

Page 76

/' _ \ Vii(Myi^\ p -V Honorable Guy R. Martin Assistant Secretary for Land and Water Resources U.S. Department of the Interior 18th & C Streets, HW Washington, DC 20240 Dear Secretary Martin: Your letter of December 14, in response to EPA's concerns for the Bonneville Unit H & I System of the Central Utah Project is Z-^^lv aDD-ec^ated. I believe you have established a reasonable clmmitmenf litigation of the adverse impacts of this project, and to cooperation between the agencies which I hope will carry over into future activities. - - - W e understand-your letter to constitute a commitment by^ the- - - Denartm-nt to support and assist the development of a watershed and reservoir management plan for the proposed Jordanelle Reservoir ana to assist in the development of a reservoir management plan for Deer Creek Reservoir, Furthermore, we understand that you intend to withhold final commitment to the construction of the Jordanelle ^orvoir until these plans and their implementation components have . been developed and incorporated into the Jordanelle Reservoir design and operating plans with such features as may be appropriate. In addition, we request that you involve EPA as an active participant in the development and approval of these plans. V7e are pleased by the Department's commitment to the study # of water management in the Wasatch Front, and to water conservation assures, as outlined in your letter and Commissioner Higginson s memo We request, however, that you begin immediately to seek funds for these studies. If you have not received money by b<?e beainnincx of fiscal year 1931, we request that you then reprogram existing funds. If we wait until budget year 1932 to obtain funas and initiate the studies, the study results will not be available for three to four years. Key decisions, with long term commitments having significant technical and dollar implications, are being made now. Your commitment, and that of Commissioner Higginson, to^ protection of fisheries habitat is understood to include an interim release o^ at least 31,000 acre-feet annually in adaition to the 6500 acre-foot release originally called for in the project design, and to negotiation of both the length of the interim period and the long-term