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Home > Archive > Mar 20, 2008

Lake Powell Pipeline Project Advances
By Southern Utah Focus
By Bill Brown and Sharon May 

The Washington County Water Conservancy District provided informational flights for county officials and members of the media, Thursday, March 13. The purpose of the helicopter flights, piloted by Maverick Helicopters, of Las Vegas, was to review sections of the proposed 140-mile route of the Lake Powell Pipeline, from Sand Hollow to Kanab Creek in Arizona, as well as to provide up-to-date information to all parties.
The Lake Powell Pipeline Project was authorized by nearly unanimous passing of the Lake Powell Pipeline Development Act by the State legislature early in 2006. The act authorized the building of the pipeline. It also authorized diversion of certain state sales and use tax revenues for pre-construction costs, according to information from the Washington County Water Conservancy District.
Currently, the pipeline is in the planning stages. Numerous routes for the pipeline have been reviewed, and a proposed route chosen. Final route approval will depend in part on the results of engineering and environmental impact studies. The studies are projected for completion in the fall of this year.
Much of the proposed route follows current utility right-of-way corridors, shadowing major roads or existing utility lines, said Barbara Hjelle, assistant general manager of the WCWCD. According to the water district, the pipeline will not go through wilderness areas but will follow an existing pipeline right-of-way through the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument and existing BLM-designated utility corridors.
Before construction can begin on the pipeline, the plans must go through the process of complying with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).  According to the WCWCD, the process of NEPA compliance and getting the required permits is expected to be complete in 2012.  Actual construction of the pipeline is scheduled to begin in 2015.
Current plans show the pipeline route starts just north of Glen Canyon Dam and follows highway 89 to a point about 10 miles east of Kanab. There, it turns southwest and primarily follows existing road and power line alignments, skirting south of the Kaibab Paiute Indian Reservation. The route then heads north to join with Arizona State Highway 389 and back into Utah, following Utah State Highway 59. Shortly after crossing the Utah border, the route turns west to continue to Sand Hollow Reservoir. The pipeline will descend from the Hurricane Cliffs through an unseen shaft bored within the rock, just beyond the Sky Ranch development south of Hurricane. Side pipelines will deliver water to Kanab in Kane County, and a pipeline from Sand Hollow will head north, along I-15 to Cedar City, in Iron County. A map of the proposed pipeline path is available at www.water.utah.gov.
The route as proposed will require five pumping stations, raising the water approximately 2,700 feet in elevation, and two high-point regulatory tanks. Plans for the proposed route also include building seven hydro-electric plants along the pipeline to take advantage of downhill stretches to generate power. Hjelle said plans are to use the funds from the sale of the power generated by the pipeline to help offset the cost of maintenance and pumping the water. 
Plans also call for creating two small reservoirs in the vicinity of the Hurricane Cliffs – one on top of the cliffs, and one at the bottom. Control of the water flowing from the top reservoir to the bottom reservoir may provide opportunities to produce power at peak times, when it might fetch higher revenue, Hjelle said.
According to the WCWCD, the estimated cost of the project is $585 million. A more accurate cost forecast may be possible after completion of the engineering and environmental studies. The project is a state project, and the capital costs will be funded by the state through low interest bonds. The water districts will then repay the state over a period of time. According to the WCWCD, the water district intends to repay its portion of the costs using impact fees from new development. It is also anticipated that ownership of the pipeline will pass to the three water districts (in each of Washington, Iron and Kane counties) after the state has been repaid.
According to the WCWCD, the only costs addressed through user fees in Washington County will be for water treatment and distribution. The district predicts these costs will not change user fees significantly.
The water district projects that the pipeline, when completed, will deliver around 100 thousand acre feet of water to the three districts. Approximately 70,000 acre feet of water per year will be delivered to Washington County and deposited in the Sand Hollow Reservoir.
Construction of the pipeline, its cost, its effects on growth, the need for the pipeline, and availability of Colorado River water, are all controversial issues.  These issues are being discussed at different levels and in many arenas. According to the WCWCD, the pipeline is the most viable answer to the county’s future water needs. Citizens for Dixie's Future, a grassroots coalition of local citizens committed to protecting the natural resources and quality of life in Washington County through Smart Growth planning for the benefit of present and future generations, feels otherwise. CDF will host a symposium to address water issues in Southern Utah, April 12 at Dixie State College, starting at 9 a.m.
More information about the Lake Powell Pipeline and the issues surrounding it can be found at the Washington County Water Conservancy District Web site, http://wcwcd.state.ut.us, and the Citizens for Dixie's Future Web site, www.citizensfordixie.org.

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