Newsletter 1991 Winter

              D F 3 V naue NAME naus CENTRAL UTAH WATER conservancy DISTRICT P L I 1 A ne S I 1 tt WINTER 1991 CUP funding bill includes 150 million for imd construction general managers message X don A christiansen like the mythical phoenix rising from the ashes the 680 million central utah project authorization and appropriations bill is again flying high in congress after considerable debate dis cussion cassion cus sion modifications and compromises congress failed to pass an appropriations bill before adjournment in 1990 to fund completion of the CUP significant reclamation reform provisions were added to the bill by rep george miller D calif and the legislation died in the senate during the final moments of the 1990 session but the CUP funding bill has resurfaced in congress and is expected to gain passage this spring and with a major change favorable to the CUP and sponsoring central utah water conservancy ser vancy district during 1990 congressional negotiations to craft a reclamation bill that would effectively fund completion of the CUP it was agreed to appropriate 150 million for construction of the irrigation and drainage system this would include an enclosed pipeline from spanish fork canyon to sevier bridge reservoir to supply new and supplemental irrigation water to utah juab millard san pete sevier garfield and plute counties the central utah water conservancy ser vancy district convinced it can build the irrigation and drainage system more cost effectively and quickly will construct the iad lad system instead of the US bureau of reclamation funding for the iad lad project will be the first major water project to gain congressional approval in more than a decade in spite of budget constraints in spite of dislike for irrigation projects and in spite of environmental concerns the bill will pass assures don christiansen general manager of the central utah water conservancy district its a compromise bill but its a bill we can live with continues christiansen if any one of us had crafted this bill it would have been different it has its good points and bad points but it is probably the best bill we could have while pleasing so many different interests the bill will pass christiansen has been authorized 1 million by the CUWCD board to begin laying the groundwork for completion of the CUP he outlined five major sections of the completion project the irrigation and drainage project the diamond fork project the uinta basin project