Brigham City Council weighs preliminary talks to lease Manaway Reservoir to Utah State Parks; no deal yet
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Summary
Council heard staff briefings on preliminary negotiations with Utah State Parks about leasing Manaway Reservoir as a state park. Staff said water rights would remain with the city, noted a large gap between forecasted launch fees and maintenance costs, and emphasized that no agreement has been signed.
Brigham City officials spent the meeting’s longest discussion reviewing preliminary conversations with Utah State Parks over whether to lease Manaway Reservoir as a state park — a proposal staff described as early-stage and nonbinding.
City staff said the governor included $2 million in his proposed budget for planning related to the possible designation, and that the conversations to date are focused on whether a lease would reduce the cost burden Brigham City now carries for operations and maintenance. Staff described the transaction as a lease of real property, not a transfer of ownership, and repeatedly emphasized the city would retain its water rights and control over water operations even if a lease is reached.
Finance staff presented a budget snapshot the city compiled for the reservoir, saying Brigham City expects roughly $6,500 in boat-launch revenue next year while facing more than $164,000 of projected expenditures tied to maintenance and staffing. Staff framed the difference as a major reason to explore whether a state partnership could improve recreation amenities while sharing or reducing the cost borne by Brigham City taxpayers.
City staff also outlined how Brigham City already performs many functions typical of a state park at Manaway — trail maintenance, restrooms, trash collection and emergency management — and said the state has experience operating leased recreation areas elsewhere in Utah. Staff told the council that some property within the reservoir area is owned by other parties and that any lease would need to preserve private access agreements for landlocked parcels.
Council members pressed staff on practical implications: would residents have to buy a state park pass to use trails, how would law enforcement and fire protection change, and whether state improvements could address algal blooms and water-quality issues. Staff answered that entry fees are possible under state-park rules but noted residents already subsidize access via property taxes; they said agency negotiations would determine how fees and access are structured.
Multiple council members and staff stressed the talks are exploratory. "This is not a done deal," a city official told the council. Negotiations with the state are ongoing in closed-session exchanges by mutual legal allowance; staff said public meetings will begin once the city is comfortable with the terms and ready to present a concrete proposal. By the end of the public discussion the council approved a motion to move into a closed session to consider the possible lease of real property and pending litigation.
What’s next: staff will continue negotiations with Utah State Parks, and the council said it will bring public work sessions and hearings to residents before any lease or final agreement is approved.
