Show Vernal Vern l Ci City ty signs contract for ek reservoir water mater Last week the contract was signed by Vernal City with the Bureau of Reclamation for feet acre-feet of municipal and industrial water from the reservoir in ina in a step agreement as the need arises Also feet acre-feet of irrigation water from reservoir has been signed for by canal tanal companies for agricultural purposes Bid opening for the Dam and reservoir construction phase of the Jensen Unit of the Central Utah Project has been postponed from the scheduled date Thursday today to Feb 1 Word was received late Tuesday from the Bureau of Reclamation saying that due to specification problems the bid opening would be moved to a later date The bid opening was scheduled to start at 2 p pm m. m in inthe inthe inthe the Uintah County building courtroom TilE THE JENSEN Unit is estimated to cost million of which the water users will repay million over a 50 year period The projects project's initial construction will take about three years The bid opening will be conducted by the Burea of Reclamation on Duchesne office It Ii has figs be been n reported that many contractors have expressed interest in bidding on the multimillion multimillion multi multi- million dollar project The dam is to be an filled earth-filled structure feet high and 1640 felt feet long The structure is on Big Brush Creek about 15 miles northeast of Vernal and is very similar to the nearby Dam DAM will store early spring run-off run and surplus flows of Big Brush Creek making its total capacity acre feet Water for Ashley Creek and Reservoir will be pumped from the facility by the proposed pumping plant and transported through a buried inch 36 aqueduct By exchange this water supply would allow additional additional additional ad ad- use of Ashley Spring Springwater Springwater Springwater water for culinary use without interfering with irrigation use usein usein usein in Ashley Valley By storing a surplus flows of Big Brush Creek Reservoir will also control flooding Water will also be provided to state owned Stewart La j Waterfowl Management Area to replace supplies presently obtained from Ashley Creek for which the area does not have an efficient delivery system Crop yields in the Jensen area will be stabilized by water drawn from the Green Greed River by bya a proposed Burns Bench Pumping Plant The plant will deliver late season water to acres of supplemental land and acres of full full- service land Drains will be installed to complete the irrigation system of the Jensen unit TilE THE ACRE site of Reservoir will be cleared of trees structures and floatable debris prior to inundation The dam will actually be constructed constructed constructed con con- of several zones of earth either extracted from the floor of the future reservoir or obtained from about 33 acres of two borrow areas outside of v the r reservoir basin Careful of these borrow areas will cover any visual damage Angular rock or os will the back of the Uie dam and cover cover its face extending t to th the minimum pool of the reservoir The will be drawn from a limestone ne quarry 15 miles from the sil site the same that accommodated accommodated accommodated ac ac- ac- ac construction of dam SIGNIFICANT economic and social benefits will be realized from the recreational opportunities opportunities opportunities op op- op- op of Reservoir Reservoir Reservoir Reser Reser- voir according to Bureau of Reclamation officials National Park Service figures indicate the reservoir will attract about visitations per year an amount that would expand the there re recreation economy sub sub- The reservoir will be tucked in a valley of red cliffs which will offer scenic values of the type found at Flaming Gorge and Lake Powell Recreation facilities will be located on a grassy plateau on Continued on Page 12 A. A W Y vf e a 4 4 Y 0 t V k 42 t b A S 4 4 k W WB B i f P 3 r rM M- M v gi SIGNING APPROVAL of a contract for delivery of municipal and industrial water to th the City of Vernal from the Jens Jensen Unit C Central Utah Project S Seated at d left to right ar ore are David L L L. Crandall Regional Director Bur Bureau Ju of Reclamation B B. B H. H President of the Uintah Water Conservancy oa a IK District and L L. L Y Secretary Manager of th the District Standing are John Jensen Project Manager Central Utah Projects Project Office and LeRoy Holmes Holme Holmes Chief Division of Water and Land Operations both of the Bur Bureau au of Reclamation water wafer Continued from Page 1 the shore of the reservoir and will include 56 camping units with individual parking spaces as well as 45 spaces for boat trailers Six picnic units with tables and grills convenient comfort stations short scenic trails and a boat ramp are are all included in the plans for the area Construction of the access road relocation started in the fall of oC last year L. L C C. C Stevenson Construction Co have roughed out the 33 miles of road which they bid Sept 14 for including graveling |