SALT LAKE CITY - The Bureau of Reclamation finalized the transfer of the Provo River Project South Branch Canal to the Utah Lake Distributing Company. This action continues Reclamation’s commitment to transferring appropriate water-related facilities to local ownership and is the fourth completed water project transfer in Utah under the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act (P.L. 116-9).
"Reclamation's title transfer program has been a great success," said Reclamation's Provo Area Manager Kent Kofford. " Transferring the facility provides flexibility for the company to obtain maintenance funding and allows the company to more fully manage the operation of the canal into the future. This enables Reclamation to gain more capacity to operate the project as a whole."
The Company's South Branch Canal located in northern Utah County, Utah, was constructed in the early 1950s as part of the federal Provo River Project. ULDC has operated and maintained the South Branch Canal since its construction and will continue to do so under this title transfer.
"As the surrounding area rapidly urbanizes, ULDC is now in a position to better manage the canal and its rights of way in the best interests of our shareholders, which include local municipalities. We look forward to our continued careful stewardship of this important local resource," said ULDC's Acting President Scott Holbrook.
The Provo River Project provides a supplemental water supply for the irrigation of 48,156 acres of highly developed farmlands in Utah, Salt Lake and Wasatch counties and an assured domestic water supply for Salt Lake City, Provo, Orem, Pleasant Grove, Lindon, American Fork and Lehi, Utah.
Under the authority of the Dingell Act, Reclamation has transferred three other federal water facilities to local ownership in Utah: Emery County Project in east-central Utah, Uintah Basin Replacement Project in northeastern Utah, and Hyrum-Mendon Canal and Wellsville Canal.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
