Show Repayment contract t for Jensen Unit sing signed esS A million repayment contract clearing the way for construction of the Jensen unit was signed T Thursday of last week by the Uintah Water Conservancy District and the United States Slates Government Signing the contract for the Jensen Unit was Briant Briani H H. H President of the Uintah Water Conservancy and David L L. Crandall Regional Director of the Bureau of Reclamation mation Salt Lake City The Jensen Unit was authorized for construction in 1956 as a part of the Colorado River Storage Act The water that is to be developed is a portion of Utah's share of the Colorado River allocated under the terms of the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact L. L LY Y manager of the Uintah Water ConserVancy Conservancy Conservancy Con Con- District explained that the Jensen Unit is designed to control the water normally wasted during the spring r runoff noff This be beheld held heldi I i t i and ana nd dir directed to areas reas where ir can be best he said Approximately feet acre-feet of water will be supplied to present users Water allotted for forr municipal and industrial use will be supplied to present users Water allotted for municipal and industrial use will amount to approximately acre- acre feet or over 75 per cent of the new water Water for irrigation will exceed 4 feet acre-feet which will accommodate approximately approximately approximately ap ap- ap- ap proximately acres of presently irrigated land and acres of service land As increased water needs prevail Burns Bench Pumping Plant will be built on the Green River just below Brush Creek to serve the needs of f irrigation in inthe inthe inthe the Jensen area An exchange of water from this plant will ll be made from Reservoir to satisfy any added municipal or industrial uses uses THE TilE Water Conservancy Conservancy Conservancy Con Con- Districts District's Board of Directors will administer the sale and delivery of project water as well as operate and maintain maln p oj Mr Ir al that the Conservancy District will collect and repay the costs to the United States Treasury The main features of the Jensen Unit Dam and Reservoir are scheduled for construction beginning sometime in the fall of 1976 This new reservoir to be located northeast of Vernal will store early spring runoff and surplus flows of Big Brush Creek Later this this' water will be transferred through gh an aqueduct to Reservoir Reser Reser- Reservoir voir and the Ashley Creek for municipal and industrial requirements in Vernal in Jensen and in the Ashley Valley generally B By exchange this water supply will allow added use of Ashley Spring water for culinary purposes without interfering interfering interfering in in- with pr present sent irrigation in Ashley Valley Je Jensen Unit water will also supply St Stewart Lake Wat Waterfowl Management Area replacing inadequate supplies presently obtained fr from Jm Ashley Creek Planned new recreational J U yia Reservoir will permit Camping hiking fishing b boating and sightseeing |