Correspondence on Bonneville Unit of Central Utah Project

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Group (l) and Group (5) lands make up the total acreage of Indian lands to be served from the Lake Fork River in the Upalco Unit area and from the Uintah River in the Uintah Unit area. Approximately 33,450 acres of land are served or to be served from the Lake Fork River consisting of 25,070 acres of Group (l) and 8,380 acres of Group (5) lands. Approximately 39,648 acres are served or to be served from the Uintah River, consisting of 34,152 acres of Group (l) and 5,496 acres of Group (5) lands. Although the agreement with the Ute Indian Tribe nox* being proposed •provides only for the deferment of irrigation of 15,242 acres of Group (5) land involved with the Bonneville Unit, it is also contemplated that Group (5) lands involved with the Upalco and Uintah Units will be deferred for future irrigation service under the ultimate phase of the Central Utah Project. The definite plan report on the Upalco Unit will be completed in F. Y. 1966. It is expected that agreements similar to the one for the Bonneville Unit xvill be negotiated with the Ute Tribe, for the Upalco and Uintah Units at appropriate times in the future after planning for the two units has been completed. Altogether, the Ute Indian Tribe xrould -defer irrigation service for about 29,113 acres of land. Starvation Reservoir, a feature of the Bonneville Unit on the Strax/berry River, a tributary of the Duchesne River, would release x^ater to supplement present irrigation supplies for non-Indian lands in the Duchesne River area. With the acknox/iedgment, as recommended by the Duchesne River Area Study Committee, of Indian Groups (2), (3), and (4) lands as having the earliest water right for the Duchesne River, the 21,208 acres of Indian lands to be served irrigation water from the Duchesne River xvithout deferment will receive an adequate water supply from direct flow diversions without need of storage regulation. However, part of the Starvation Reservoir water would be used in C/VUiA^U-l^G UU CW\^U.O -U"-/, V\^^» a k . X C O VJi. OJ.AU.jLCLii J-O.J.J.U. LL.iU.er o n O CAJ.C3 0 1 1 1 5 Duchesne Feeder Canal and Midview Reservoir in order to free Lake Fork River water that is appurtenant to these lands for use upstream on lands of the Moon Lake Project. A similar exchange is actually operating now except that natural flows of Duchesne River are used instead of water from Starvation Reservoir. Without the Bonneville Unit the exchange may eventually have to be discontinued as the Duchesne River water that is being used for exchange is put to use on other lands under prior rights claimed by the Indians. The Starvation Reservoir x/ill permit a continuation of the exchange and thus will assure the Moon Lake Project •of continued use of Lake Fork River water. s The water right application recently filed with the Utah State Engineer 'jy Resources ^Company of Arizona to appropriate water from Lake Powell