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Show Good Progress Reported On Mill Creek Project K. E. McDougald, president pres-ident and Don Hoffman, secretary-treasurer, of the Grand County Water Conservancy District reported this week that continued progress is being made on the planning plan-ning of the Mill Creek Dam. The two returned from the National Water Resources Re-sources Assn. convention conven-tion which was held in Salt Lake City last week. While attending the convention, con-vention, a meeting was arranged between personnel per-sonnel of the Corps of Engineers, the Utah Division Di-vision of Water Resources Re-sources and the Grand County Water Conservancy Conserv-ancy District. Brig. Gen. Fink, division engineer of the South Pacific Division; Di-vision; Kermit Speeg, chief of the planning division di-vision of the South Pacific Pa-cific Division; and Col. James C. Donovan, Sacramento Sa-cramento District Engineer En-gineer for the Corps of Engineers met with Dan Lawrence, Robert Morgan, Mor-gan, McDougald and Hoffman at the meeting. General Fink indicated that he is planning to visit this area next year to look at the actual project pro-ject site. Hope to Particin'ir The Corps officials indicated in-dicated that they had not found any major exceptions excep-tions in the preliminary design work which was furnished by the State of Utah. The design work was done by engineers of the Utah Division of Water Wa-ter Resources and was submitted to the Corps in June of this year. The Corps representatives also indicated that they are anxious to participate partici-pate in the program providing pro-viding the engineering details can be worked out in an acceptable manner. Planning work should now move into the final design stage, along with development of the environmental impact study. Report Ready The materials investigation inves-tigation which was done by the Provo engineering firm of Rawlins, Brown and Gunnell last year was published this month mon-th and the Corps has now been furnished with a copy of this report. It is expected that the report will be helpful to them in further analyzing anal-yzing the preliminary design work which was provided by the state. The materials report indicated in-dicated that there were basically sufficient materials ma-terials in the area to construct the dam. This is considered to be a preliminary materials investigation and there will be a more detailed detail-ed investigation done at a later date. Tri 3 -torn will bp located lo-cated below the confluence conflu-ence of the north fork of Mill Creek and the main stream. It is proposed to be a rockfill structure with an impervious core. There will be approximately approxi-mately 850,000 cu. ft. mately 850,000 cu. yds. of fill and the dam will be 210 feet high. A diversion di-version is also planned in the upper reaches of Mill Creek via the She-ley She-ley Tunnel, to divert irrigation ir-rigation water into Spanish Span-ish Valley. Entire project pro-ject cost is estimated at $3.3 million. A pressure pres-sure irrigation system to provide the irrigation water to Spanish Valley is also planned. Other Benefits In addition to actual work on the plans for construction of the dam, the Water Conservancy District, with funding from the Four Corners Regional Commission is presently conducting an agricultural demonstration demonstra-tion project on several 1-acre plots in the valley. val-ley. In early October, a new method of irrigation of the plots was installed install-ed by Rinko Irrigation Systems of New York. The new irrigation system sys-tem provides for constant con-stant drip feed watering water-ing and nourishment of the plants in the demonstration dem-onstration areas. The sites are part of the implementation im-plementation program to demonstrate to people the latest methods and some of the types of high cash value crops that can be ro-.r ".ing the waters wa-ters which might become available from the dam. A Schick International study completed in September Sep-tember of 1971, showed that with traditional crops such as livestock and alfalfa for all of Continued on Page A3 Good Progress Reported On Mill Creek Project Continued from page Al the areas of Spanish Valley, Val-ley, Moab Valley, and Wilson and South Mesas Me-sas a total annual land value of $225.00(1 could be expected. L'nder optimum op-timum growth of cash crops such as grapes and tree fruits such as are being planted in the demonstration de-monstration projects a yearly value of S605,"905 can be expected. Many Years Work on the Mill Creek Dam project began over 50 years ago, but in the past two years, local officials have urged the Division of Water Resources Re-sources to go into a partnership with them on the dam. After favorable consideration was shown by the Division, the Water Wa-ter Conservancy District Dis-trict was formed with the purpose of seeing construction of this project pro-ject through to completion. comple-tion. Financing of early phases of the project is coming from the State of Utah and the Four Corners Regional Commission. Com-mission. The funds for the actual construction i are expected to be shared shar-ed by the Water Conservancy Conser-vancy District, the Division Di-vision of Water Resources, Resour-ces, and other appropriate appro-priate sources such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Corps of Fngineer, Four Corners Regional Commission and others. |