| OCR Text |
Show Upper Stillwater Reservoir and Currant Creek Reservoir will serve as regulating reservoirs along the Strawberry Aqueduct. The Upper Stillwater Reservoir will regulate the flows of Rock Creek and the South Fork of Rock Creek for release to the aqueduct. Upper Stillwater Reservoir will have a total capacity of 29,500 acre-feet. Currant Creek Reservoir will receive water from Vat Tunnel of the Strawberry Aqueduct and collect flows from Currant Creek and five of its tributary streams. The combined water supply will be discharged into Currant Tunnel of the Aqueduct at the Currant Creek Dam. Currant Creek Reservoir will have a total capacity of 15,500 acre-feet. Only 1,000 acre-feet will be active capacity for regulation of inflows and the remaining 14,500 acre-feet will be inactive. Limited fluctuation of the reservoir water surface will provide an outstaning recreation opportunity. Strawberry Reservoir will be enlarged by the Soldier Creek Dam on Strawberry River about 7 miles downstream from the existing dam which will be breached and submerged. Its present capacity of 283,000 acre-feet will be enlarged to 1,106,500 acre-feet. This will include 951,360 acre-feet of active capacity and 155,140 acre-feet of inactive capacity. Long time storage will be provided in Strawberry Reservoir for water prior to its diversion to the Bonneville Basin. An average of about 197,600 acre-feet of water will be released annually from Strawberry Reservoir, including 136,600 acre-feet developed by the Bonneville Unit and 61,000 acre-feet of normal yield from the existing reservoir. Extensive provision for recreation activities are planned for Upper Stillwater, Currant Creek, and enlarged Strawberry Reservoirs. Contracts and Agreements The Solicitor recently determined that title to Strawberry Valley Project lands in the vicinity of Strawberry Reservoir is in the United States, and the Strawberry Water Users' Association may continue to use these lands and receive revenue therefrom only to assist in meeting the project repayment obligation to the United States. The water users expect to complete such payments within the next few years. The Solicitor's decision clears the way for enlargement of the Strawberry Reservoir by the Central Utah Project, subject to reimbursement to the Strawberry Water Users' for loss of revenue from lands taken for Central Utah Project purposes. Presumably the reimbursement obligation to the Strawberry Water Users' would cease when the Strawberry Valley Project is paid out. The Strawberry Water Users wholeheartedly support the Central Utah Project and desire only to cooperate in its development. However, they are greatly disappointed in the Solicitor's decision and believe it to be incorrect, or at least unfair. The Water Users will not object to the initiation of construction of Soldier Creek Dam, but they do plan to seek for a more equitable settlement than allowed by the Solicitor's opinion, either by administrative agreement, court action, or petition to Congress. As a minimum the Water Users can be expected to seek a reimbursement for lands taken under the Central 14 |
