View of Upper Stillwater Reservoir and snowcapped Uintah Mountains
Upper Stillwater Reservoir
Upper Stillwater Dam is a roller compacted concrete gravity dam located on Rock Creek, about 31 miles northwest of Duchesne, Utah.
View of the south slope of the Uinta Mountains across a green meadow with purple flowers. (CUWCD photo by Lina Ivie)
Central Utah Project Completion Act Office
The Central Utah Project is the state of Utah's largest and most comprehensive federal water resource development project. It moves water from the Colorado River basin in eastern Utah to the western slopes of the Wasatch Mountain range where population growth and industrial development are rapidly growing. The project provides water for municipal and industrial use, irrigation, hydroelectric power, fish and wildlife, conservation, and recreation. Improved flood control and water quality are also among the project benefits.
The Central Utah Project was authorized in 1956 under the Colorado River Storage Project Act (P.L. 84-485) as a participating project of the Colorado River Storage Project. Construction of the CUP was originally the responsibility of the Bureau of Reclamation, however construction proceeded slowly due to project complexities, complicated environmental analysis, and sporadic federal funding. The Central Utah Project Completion Act (P.L. 102-575) enacted on October 30, 1992, transferred responsibility for planning and construction activities to the Central Utah Water Conservancy District and placed responsibility for oversight of the project with the Department of the Interior.
The CUPCA established the Central Utah Project Completion Act Office which was created in 1993 to oversee completion of the project and administer CUPCA funding, legal compliance, environmental work, etc. The CUPCA Office reports directly to the Secretary of the Interior through the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science. The CUPCA also established the Utah Reclamation Mitigation Conservation Commission to coordinate mitigation and conservation activities for the project.
The Central Utah Project provides the opportunity and mechanism for Utah to develop a significant portion of its allocated share of Colorado River water for beneficial use. As the need for water continues to grow along the Wasatch Front, the CUP will continue to play an important role in meeting those needs.
Photo Gallery: Bonneville Unit Facilities
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Aerial view of Currant Creek Dam and Reservoir.Currant Creek Dam
The Strawberry Aqueduct & Collection System diverts flows from Rock Creek and eight other Duchesne River tributaries through approximately 40 miles of tunnels and aqueducts for storage in Strawberry Reservoir. Upper Stillwater Reservoir serves as a regulating reservoir at the beginning of the Strawberry Aqueduct to provide temporary storage of high spring flows. Currant Creek Reservoir diverts water from Currant Creek and five of its smaller tributaries into the aqueduct.
(9/12/2011 CUWCD)
Soldier Creek Dam and Strawberry ReservoirSoldier Creek Dam and Strawberry Reservoir
Soldier Creek Dam, completed in 1974, is a zoned earthfill structure 272 feet high with a crest length of 1,290 feet. Located on the Strawberry River it was completed in 1974.
(8/11/2011, CUWCD)
Aerial view of Jordanelle Dam and Reservoir.Jordanelle Dam and Reservoir
Jordanelle Dam and Reservoir, located on the Provo River about 6 miles north of Heber City. The reservoir has a capacity of 320,300 acre-feet with a surface area of 3,068 acres.
(9/12/2011 CUWCD)
Aerial view of Starvation Dam and Reservoir, located in Duchesne County, UtahStarvation Dam and Reservoir
Starvation Dam is a zoned earthfill dam located three miles northwest of Duchesne, Utah on the Strawberry River constructed bewtween 1967-1970.
(2014 CUWCD)
Jordanelle hydroelectric Power PlantJordanelle Hydroelectric Power Plant
The Jordanelle Power Plant became operational in 2008. The plant has two Francis turbines and can generate 13 megawatts. This is enough power for 9,000 homes. Jordanelle is one of only 178 power plants to be certified as “Green” by the Low Impact Hydropower Institute and was the 29th plant to be certified. The Jordanelle plant is a run-of-the-river plant and only generates power on water that is released from Jordanelle Dam for downstream demands.
Olmsted Hydroelectric Power PlantOlmsted hydroelectric Power Plant
The Historic Olmsted Hydroelectric Plant first became operational in 1904. The plant was later upsized in 1922. The plant was named after Fay Deveraux Olmsted, who was the engineer for the plant. The plant has undergone many modifications over the years and was finally retired in 2015. The new Olmsted Hydroelectric Plant became operational in 2018. Its main purpose is to protect water rights that are used for over half of the Jordanelle Reservoir water supply. This water supply delivers water to over a million people. The new Olmsted plant has four Francis-type turbines and can generate 11 megawatts of power. The amount of water used to generate power can be as low as 7 cubic feet per second (cfs) and as high as 429 cfs.
(11/15/2018 CUCWD)
