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Price officials seek federal help after NRCS pulls reservoir funding; council had approved $900,000 extension request
Summary
City staff told the council the Natural Resources Conservation Service has no remaining funds for the reservoir EIS; council approved a $900,000 extension request and staff reported outreach to U.S. Sen. John Curtis seeking $2 million in congressional support.
City officials told the Price City Council workshop that federal funding for the planned reservoir’s environmental impact statement (EIS) has been cut and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) told them it had no money left to finish the work.
The matter matters because the EIS must be completed for the reservoir project to advance. City staff said the council previously approved a request for a $900,000 extension for the project; officials said they have the extension but not the funding to complete the EIS and related studies.
At the workshop, a city official identified in the transcript as Miles said Horrocks Engineering, NRCS staff and the city met to discuss how to finish the EIS with no money. Miles said Horrocks estimated a remaining scope would cost about $2,300,000 to finish but that Horrocks offered a reduced scope estimate of $923,000 to complete the EIS. Miles said he asked engineering staff whether they could do pro bono work and was told they could not. “Every time in this project somebody touches it in a piece of paper, there’s a cost,” Miles said, describing how incremental meetings and tasks consumed earlier funds.
Miles told the council he and staff have contacted the offices of Utah U.S. senators for assistance. He said he received an unsolicited phone call from U.S. Sen. John Curtis, who told him he was “pushing your ask for the money” and that the senator planned to advocate for the request in Congress. Miles described that contact as a positive development for what he characterized as a project with an estimated total cost in the “$150 million to $200 million” range.
Council members and staff discussed next steps: sharpening the scope of work with Horrocks to reduce cost, continuing congressional outreach and identifying other financing sources. Miles said the city will continue working both the congressional and engineering sides to pursue federal dollars and that the extension itself does not provide the money to complete the EIS.
The city also reported ancillary local development interest tied to water availability: a company looking at Gordon Creek asked about reservoir capacity and water availability, Miles said, arguing that water plus rail can attract businesses.
Ending: City officials said they will pursue the reduced Horrocks estimate, continue outreach to congressional offices and report back to the council on funding options. No final financing plan was adopted at the workshop.
