General
The Weber River Project, formerly designated as the Salt Lake Basin Project, first division, is in the vicinity of Ogden, Utah. It was developed primarily to supply supplemental irrigation water to about 109,000 acres of land east of the Great Salt Lake, lying between the lake and the Wasatch Mountains. Its principal engineering feature is Echo Dam and Reservoir, 42 miles southeast of Ogden, on the Weber River. A secondary feature is the construction of the original Weber-Provo Diversion Canal. This canal was enlarged as part of the Provo River Project. The project distribution system is privately owned, operated, and maintained by approximately 50 organizations and individuals.
History
Irrigation of lands from the Weber River was started about 1850. The late summer natural flow was sufficient for full water supply for about 3,000 acres, but before many years had passed a larger area was developed for which there was only a partial supply.
Construction
Construction of Echo Dam commenced on November 26, 1927, and was completed in December 1931. It was necessary to relocate portions of the Union Pacific Railroad branch lines and the Lincoln Highway. The original Weber-Provo Diversion Canal also was constructed during this time. In 1986, under the direction of the Bureau of Reclamation, the two needle valves in the outlet works at Echo Dam were replaced with 60 inch jet-flow gate valves. Other modifications to the dam include the construction of a hydroelectric powerplant which was completed in 1987. The powerplant was constructed by Bountiful Power and Light under a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) permit.
Plan
Echo Dam is a zoned earthfill structure, one mile upstream from the town of Echo and about six miles north of Coalville. It has a structural height of 158 feet and contains 1,540,000 cubic yards of materials. The spillway has a capacity of 15,000 cubic feet per second. The outlet conduit is a concrete-lined horseshoe tunnel to the gatehouse, from which two steel pipes pass through a tunnel to the valve house. The outlet works has a capacity of 2,100 cubic feet per second. The project is operated and maintained by the Weber River Water Users Association. Water is stored in Echo Reservoir, and released as needed by the irrigators. Delivery to the land is made through privately owned distribution systems that divert water from the Weber River.
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