ST. GEORGE — A reservoir and pipeline project that has been in the works since 2019 received nearly $5 million from the federal government earlier this month as a part of overall funding for projects that promote water conservation and efficiency.
The U.S. Department of the Interior announced in an April 6 press release that $20 million was being granted to four small surface and groundwater storage projects in California and Utah. While three of the projects are based in California, the fourth is the Ash Creek Project based in Southern Utah.
Money for the projects comes from 2022’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also commonly referred to as the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.” Money provided through the bill already has been applied to other projects in Southern Utah, such as the Pine Valley Priority Landscape Project.
While on the books for many years, movement on the Ash Creek Project didn’t begin till late 2019 when the Washington County Water Conservancy District announced initial work had been done with the Bureau of Land Management to move the project forward.
The Ash Creek Project encompasses the construction of an 18.8-mile pipeline from the Ash Creek Reservoir to the future site of the Toquer Reservoir. Originally estimated to be a $34 million project, it has jumped to $94 million due to inflation.
The purpose of the project is to capture and secure water from the Ash Creek Reservoir near New Harmony that is otherwise reportedly being lost to seepage. The reservoir was built in the 1960s alongside Interstate 15 and hasn’t worked as well as intended, Zach Renstrom, general manager of the water district, previously told St. George News.
The Toquer Reservoir, which is being built in the area of Anderson Junction, is designed to cover 115 acres and hold up to 3,600 acre-feet of water, making it a third of the size of Gunlock Reservoir. The reservoir will be filled with water from the nearly 19-mile Ash Creek Pipeline that is designed to capture part of the surface run-off water currently being lost at the Ash Creek Reservoir through seepage.
Currently, the pipeline and dam for the new reservoir are being built in phases, Karry Rathje, the water district’s communications and government affairs manager, told St. George News. Parts of the pipeline have already been bid on and are being lined up for construction to begin while other segments are set to be addressed in the near future.
It is anticipated that the ground will be broken for work on the dam in late summer or early fall of this year, with construction expected to take around two to three years.
“As communities across the West continue to face the impacts of ongoing drought, the Biden-Harris administration is making record investments to protect the stability and sustainability of the Colorado River System now and into the future,” Tommy Beaudreau, deputy secretary of the Department of the Interior, said in a press release. “By working together in close coordination with states, Tribes and other stakeholders, we can provide much needed relief for communities across the West that will have a lasting impact for generations.”
Overall, the infrastructure law provides $8.3 billion for Bureau of Reclamation water infrastructure projects over the next five years. Additionally, money from the Inflation Reduction Act provides another $4.6 billion toward addressing the West’s ongoing drought.
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