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Show Upalco Unit repayment contract signed by district A $10.5 million repayment contract for the Upalco Unit of the Central Utah Project was signed by the Central Utah Water Conservancy District. The Upalco Unit, located north of Roosevelt, would serve areas on the Uintah and Ouran Indian reservations and adjacent areas. The Ute tribe hasn't signed the agreement yet, and that may cause some problems even though the water conservancy district has signed the contract. Kirt Carpenter, CUP project director, said the Indians are reviewing research on the water project and will make some decision soon. "I would be surprised if they don't support it," said Carpenter. "They are expected to have some of their preliminary findings done this month, and a decision should follow." Briant H. Stringham, a conservancy district board member from Vernal, said the project was being worked on 54 years ago and he wondered if he'd be alive to see it finished. "I'm sure you'll be alive," Carpenter told him. "The Indians have had lots of trespass problems, and they want to be certain they know what will happen before they sign." The contract has a clause that would allow costs to increase up to 25 percent for changes in construction plans, increased in-creased costs or increases in water and irrigation allotments from the project. If changes were made above that figure, water conservancy district officials said the contract would have to be amended. Asked if the project will be halted if the agreement with the Indians isn't-signed, isn't-signed, Carpenter said there were several alternatives. |