Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Infrastructure Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board of Water Resources approves grants and loans for irrigation, pipeline and dam-safety work
Summary
The Utah Board of Water Resources unanimously approved funding commitments for five projects — Lake Creek, Cash Highline, Twin Creeks (Jones Dam), Wolf Creek and an ARPA grant adjustment for Highland City — including a supplemental dam-safety award for Jones Dam. Votes were unanimous on each item.
The Utah Board of Water Resources voted unanimously to commit funding for a slate of irrigation and dam-safety projects at its briefing and action meeting.
Board member Dana Van Horn moved and the board approved staff recommendations to finance Lake Creek Irrigation Company's pipeline replacement and associated improvements, authorizing the board to cover 85% of the project cost (motion recorded as up to $7.64 million) and approving purchase financing at 1.24% interest over about 26 years with annual payments of roughly $346,000.
Bradley Caldwell, the Division project lead, told the board the Lake Creek project would replace and upsize about 15,000 feet of pipeline, rebuild a diversion structure and install a new meter vault after bids came in below the engineer’s estimate.
The board also approved a $255,000 commitment (32.1% of project cost) for Cash Highline Water Association to replace a deteriorated 36-inch pipeline, add a traveling screen and install SCADA and sediment control measures. John Wells, president of the association, said the previous structure was “well over a hundred years old” and that failure could be “catastrophic to some residential units at the bottom of the hill.” Staff recommended a 0% interest purchase over 25 years (annual payments approximately $10,200).
Twin Creek Special Service District’s Jones Dam received an additional dam-safety allocation after seepage discovered during the first filling prompted a second-phase project. Division staff recommended — and the board approved — an additional $1,476,000 in dam-safety grant funds and an amended contract committing the board to provide 80% of project costs up to $3,668,000. Twin Creeks’ manager said the work will capture seepage with additional toe drains and a new conveyance pipeline so captured water can be returned to the system for shareholders’ use.
The board authorized the Wolf Creek Irrigation Company to replace about 350 feet of corroded pipeline beneath State Route 158, approving 85% of the project cost up to $255,000 at 0% interest over 15 years (annual payments about $17,000). EJ Harris and Stephen Noel, representing the company, thanked the state for resources that small water systems rely on.
Finally, the board amended an existing ARPA-funded secondary-meter grant for Highland City. Because Highland’s secondary-meter project came in under budget, staff recommended raising the board’s share to provide 70% of the non-grant portion of project costs (up to $5 million) without adding new dollars or introducing a loan or repayment obligation; the board approved the contract amendment unanimously.
Votes at a glance
- Lake Creek (RA499): Motion by Dana Van Horn; second by Dale Buckston. Result: unanimous approval. Motion recorded as commit 85% of project cost (up to $7.64 million) and purchase financing at 1.24% for ~26 years (annual payment ~$346,000).
- Cash Highline (RE501): Motion by Dale Buckston; second by William Mkeley. Result: unanimous approval to commit 32.1% of cost, up to $255,000, 0% interest over 25 years (annual payment ~$10,200).
- Twin Creeks, Jones Dam (RC067): Motion by Dana Van Horn; second by Blaine Ipsson. Result: unanimous approval of an additional $1,476,000 and contract amendment for the board to provide 80% of costs up to $3,668,000.
- Wolf Creek (RE505): Motion by Blaine Ipsson; second by Dana Van Horn. Result: unanimous approval to commit 85% of cost up to $255,000, 0% interest over 15 years (annual payment ~$17,000).
- Highland City (RM016): Motion by Dana Van Horn; second by Dale Buckston. Result: unanimous approval to amend the grant contract to provide 70% of the non-grant portion of project costs up to $5 million (ARPA funds; no new loan or repayment).
Why it matters
The approvals back pipeline replacements and dam-safety work that the Division said address deterioration, public-safety risks and capacity constraints. The Jones Dam supplemental award reflects new information discovered after the reservoir was refilled following a decades-long half-fill restriction. Division staff and applicants said the awards will allow small water providers to complete needed repairs without bearing the full up-front cost.
What’s next
Recipients will proceed with procurement and construction under the amended contract terms. Division staff said some projects expect to begin construction this fall, and the board will monitor future dam-safety and large capital needs in coming fiscal years.
