News Release Archive

Reclamation Transfers Ownership of the Provo River Aqueduct

Project improves water delivery, conservation, recreation and environment

Media Contact: Lee Traynham, 801-379-1196, ltraynham@usbr.gov
Wayne Pullan, 801-369-2778, wpullan@usbr.gov

For Release: October 31, 2014

Salt Lake City, Utah – During a late morning signing ceremony on Friday, October 31, 2014, the Bureau of Reclamation, acting under the provisions of the Provo River Project Transfer Act, transferred ownership of the Provo River Aqueduct to the Provo River Water Users Association. The piping of the Provo Reservoir Canal is a notable achievement, improving water delivery, water conservation, public safety, recreation, and the environment for decades to come.

Transfer of ownership is the final step in a major project initiated by the Association in 1998. The project enclosed the former Provo Reservoir Canal, historically known as the Murdock Canal, which provides water for irrigation, municipal and industrial uses to several communities in both Utah and Salt Lake counties. The enclosure was completed in 2012, replacing the canal with the Provo River Aqueduct—a 21-mile long, 10.5-foot diameter pipeline stretching from the mouth of Provo Canyon to the Point of the Mountain in Salt Lake County.

“The Department of the Interior supports the transfer of facilities in cases where such projects create benefits for the new owner, other stakeholders and the general public,” said Jennifer Gimbel, the Department of the Interior’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science. “This transfer is a milestone achievement built on years of work amongst several partners.”

The project will improve water quality, public safety, and recreation. Eight thousand acre-feet of the water conserved by the project will be used for flows to support the endangered June sucker, a fish species native only to Utah Lake and its tributary streams, and to provide benefits to other fish and wildlife. “Today’s celebration marks the conclusion of one of the most significant recent water projects in Utah,” stated Keith Denos, General Manager of the Association. “We couldn’t have made it to where we are today without commitment and cooperation from a wide range of stakeholders.”

The five funding stakeholders—Provo River Water Users Association, Central Utah Water Conservancy District, Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District, Provo Reservoir Water Users Company, and Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake and Sandy —along with numerous federal, state, local and municipal agencies contributed to the successful completion of the title transfer and enclosure project.

Following completion of the canal enclosure, local partnerships and a $12 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration allowed for construction of the Murdock Canal Trail. This 17-mile, multi-use, paved trail passes through seven Utah County communities, from Orem to Lehi, and is referred to as the “crown jewel” of the county trail system.

For more information, please contact Provo Area Office Manager Wayne Pullan at 801-369-2778 or PAO’s Public Affairs Specialist Lee Traynham at 801-379-1196.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.

Relevant Link:

Provo River Water Users Association