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2003 LEGISLATIVE REPORT
Active Projects

PROJECT INFORMATION:
The 2000 Legislature appropriated $100,000 for a Level I study in the Green River Basin to investigate groundwater recharge and alternate storage for the basin's surplus water. With the help of the Green River Basin Advisory Group, the WWDC developed a scope of services, and after screening interested candidates, hired States West Water Resources Corporation as the engineering firm to complete this study. This study used the Green River Basin Plan, completed in January 2001, as a tool to begin an investigation on groundwater recharge potential and to develop a comprehensive list of potential reservoir locations within the basin. Potential reservoir sites listed in the Green River Basin Plan were investigated on a reconnaissance level. A short list was developed that listed the five selected sites that were ranked the highest. These five sites were studied in greater detail, this included the development of conceptual designs and preliminary cost estimates.

During the investigation of the five final sites previously mentioned, an additional site was discovered that did not exist in any of the literature. This new site would serve as an alternate to the East Fork and East Fork Gorge reservoir sites. This alternative was titled Church Reservoir after the homesteading family that originally settled the land. This site may satisfy all of the demands for water in the area with less environmental impact, than the other sites. The local irrigators requested that this study be continued to include further investigation of this potential reservoir which was discovered at the end of the study when the time and budget constraints prevented a more detailed investigation. The continuation of this study is scheduled for completion in January of 2003.

RECOMMENDED LEGISLATIVE ACTION:
No legislative action required at this time.