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Show Continued From Front Fcfge Continued from Front Page Feds Listen to Alternate Water Plan different than the way we are going." But he says that since current plans fulfill the original purpose of the appropriation - delivery of water to Salt Lake and Utah counties - the Bureau feels justified in proceding with the aqueducts. "It's kind of a technicality, I gUK; whether it is or isn't," says Jt Franson. "We feel like it is, money has been appropriated t ' Congress." positive. "They have agreed with about four items," he said, adding that Reclamation's projected price of concrete, more than 80 percent of the total cost, has not yet been determined. deter-mined. "Of course that's the major one," said Mr. Powell. The concrete figures should be available by mid week. Mr. Powell said he believes the box culvert probably can be built at less cost than the two aqueducts, but he has adopted a wait-and-see attitude; along with other members of the Agency, he will be scrutinizing the government estimates. The savings, along with other advantages inherent in the idea, makes his option worth the two-year wait to begin construction. con-struction. Other benefits of the box culvert include but are not limited to: --Elimination of the need to use the Olmstead pipeline as the primary feeder. "The Bureau of Reclamation does not really like using the Olmstead Olm-stead pipe," says Jess Green, American Fork councilman in charge of water matters. "It's off its foundation foun-dation in many places. In some places it's just hanging. It does not appear that it is safe." He said one fear is that a collapse would cut off the Salt Lake area from water they depend on. "The proposal we've got eliminates that problem by taking most of it through the Murdock Canal and only incidental water out of the Olmstead pipe," he said. --Olmstead power plant would produce more energy in the long run. "With the two pipelines," says Mr. Franson, "the power plant would not be able to operate during summer months." When Salt Lake County is using all water available, the plant could operate only in the winter, he said. "With the box culvert concept, the plant would be able to operate a greater percentage of the summer because water would be going through the turbines and into the box culvert rather than into an aqueduct," said Mr. Franson. Water for aqueducts would be diverted about a half mile above the power plant and would not be available there. Also, several cities are interested in acquisition of the Olmstead plant for municipal power. -Provo River Water Users Associaton, current operator of the Murdock Canal, would get delivery of all its entitlement - the box culvert would eliminate evaporation and seepage losses that reduce end-line volume in Salt Lake County. At the same time, the Salt Lake County Water Conservancy District could take delivery on the same amount of water that would have come in aqueducts. -Elimination of new right of way acquisitions innorthern Utah County; removal of the potential danger of a ruptured high-pressure pipeline, a fear expressed by Pleasant Grove Mayor Cornell Haynie; and the enclosure en-closure of the Murdock Canal, long considered by local residents to be a dangerous nuisance. Mr. Franson said that if the cities and the Water Conservancy District want a box culvert, Reclamation is willing to go along - provided the comparative costs are favorable; right now, the "estimates show the costs about the same." "It has to be acceptable to the people who are using it," he said. "But sometimes it is hard to separate what is really an engineering decision and what the District prefers to do. " He said the decision to go with the box culvert alternative over the pressurized aqueducts is between the cities of north Utah County and the Central Utah Water Conservancy District. According to Lorin Powell, the northern cities have made a proposal several times to the Water District. So far, he says, they have elicited only negative responses. "The first three or four times they didn't understand it. They didn't even try to understand," un-derstand," he said. "Then they thought they could run over us." "They've come back negative several times," he continued, "but we just keep hammering at them and showing where it is positive. Bureau of Reclamation corroboration would put pressure on the Water Conservancy Con-servancy District, the canal company and everybody else. Then the burden would be on them to prove why it can't be done. "When we have the technical things out of the way, it comes down to philosophical questions - and I don't think they can knock it on philosophical grounds. They've tried, but. so far they haven't been successful," suc-cessful," said Mr. Powell. A source in the Timpanogos Planning and Water Management Agency who asked not to be identified said that if Reclamation agrees the box alternative is workable, the reaction of the Water Conservancy District is the key factor. "If the Central Utah Water Conservancy Con-servancy District wants to oppose the idea in the face of figures showing the desirability of the box, then there could be a real political battle," the source said, adding that Robert Hilbert, general manager of the Salt Lake County Water Conservancy District, "could well be one of the biggest thorns in the side of the cities." Mr. Hilbert is serving simultaneously on the board of the Central Utah Water Conservancy District. The Timpanogos Agency admits that opting for the box culvert would result in a delay of about two years, whereas construction on the aqueducts could begin next summer. But according to the Agency source, "It wouldn't hurt anyone to delay a little bit. I question whether they have a dire need for that water immediately. im-mediately. I've been told by certain insiders that if they gave Hilbert that water now he wouldn't know what to do with it." According to Mayor Christiansen, "If we can show that the Bureau of Reclamation feels , good about our proposal, I think the District will be hard pressed to buck some of the information we can put out on it. I don't see how they would be able to stand up there and make a decision not to go with the project when it can be clearly demonstrated that it is the best way to go and that everybody's needs can be met. Mr. Franson reaffirmed the position of the Bureau, saying that it looks at itself "as not making the decision tochange." "That would have to be the District's decision in cooperation with the Timpanogos group," he said. But Mr. Franson admitted that the plan has already changed from Reclamation's original 1964 plan. Under the original design, the Murdock Canal was to be lined and fenced; because of several roadblocks, road-blocks, however, the plan was changed to include the aqueducts. "After years of negotiation with the Provo River Water Users Association, we were unable to work out the agreements to share the canal space," said Mr. Franson. "Some , other concerns came up about water quality with an open canal. They couldn't get assurances from the State Health Department that they could continue to use an open canal . for municipal water. "Another concern was that the Central Utah Water Conservancy District wanted flexibility to operate the pipeline to meet the needs of the people who were paying for it." By ; far the greatest amount of CUP water will be sold in the Salt Lake area. At the Denver meeting last week, Reclamation . officials told Tim- , panogos Agency representatives that . the box culvert is essentially the same plan that was in the original Bon- - neville Unit plans, according to Jess Green. "What we are proposing is an enlargement and reconstruction of ; the Murdock Canal," said Mr. Green, j "That was in the original plan - the I Jordan and Alpine aqueducts were j' not, from my understanding, and they ; have never been accepted by Congress for funding, nor has it ever '. gone to the people for a vote . ' ' ' "What we are talking about is a ! deviation from the original plans - and this C.U.P.. plan is strictly self-j self-j serving for Salt Lake County and '; nobody else," said Mr. Green. "The : Jordan unit has nothing to do with ; taking care of the canal and the needs across the north end of the county." Mr. Franson admitted that the original authorization "was a litle bit |
