H.J.R. 16

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RESOLUTION ON WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
2 FOR CENTRAL UTAH PROJECT
3 1997 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Sponsor: Ralph Becker
6 A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE LEGISLATURE URGING THE CENTRAL UTAH WATER
7 CONSERVANCY DISTRICT TO CONSIDER SENDING CENTRAL UTAH PROJECT
8 WATER NORTH, AS A FULL ALTERNATIVE TO SENDING IT EXCLUSIVELY SOUTH,
9 DURING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT PLANNING PROCESS.
10 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
11 WHEREAS Utah has sought to complete the $3,000,000,000 Central Utah Project for more
12 than four decades;
13 WHEREAS Utah residents have paid property taxes, sales taxes, income taxes, water bills,
14 and electric power bills while seeking completion of the Central Utah Project;
15 WHEREAS the defining water delivery principle stemming from the Governor's Growth
16 Summit was "make the users pay";
17 WHEREAS urban Utah County and Salt Lake County residents have paid more than 92
18 percent of the property taxes for the Central Utah Project over the past three decades yet will
19 receive less than 45 percent of the Central Utah Project's water;
20 WHEREAS Utah and Salt Lake Counties have an increasing demand for high-quality
21 culinary CUP water that should be evaluated in comparison with agricultural uses of water in the
22 lower Sevier River drainage;
23 WHEREAS in 1992 Congress directed the Central Utah Water Conservancy District to
24 study and consider the option of sending Central Utah Project water north to these communities;
25 WHEREAS Congress also authorized $125,000,000 for the construction and
26 implementation of this alternative subject to Central Utah Water Conservancy District Board
27 approval;

1 WHEREAS the Central Utah Water Conservancy District has determined that construction
2 and implementation of this alternative would cost between $93,000,000 and $116,000,000;
3 WHEREAS the current proposed system, which would send Central Utah Project water
4 exclusively south, would cost $300,000,000;
5 WHEREAS the Central Utah Water Conservancy District has documented only two pages
6 analyzing the northern alternative, while more than 1,000 pages detail the sending of Central Utah
7 Project water south;
8 WHEREAS sending Central Utah Project water both north and south could save
9 $500,000,000 in various taxes for the residents of Utah and beyond by delaying or eliminating the
10 need to construct a Bear River water project;
11 WHEREAS the environmental impacts of sending water south versus north, including the
12 impacts of developing dams on the Bear River, need to be analyzed and considered by the public
13 and decision makers prior to a final decision; and
14 WHEREAS the option of sending water north is being virtually ignored during the
15 planning process:
16 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah reaffirm
17 the state's determination to manage the most efficient and inexpensive water infrastructure for all
18 of Utah's residents by urging the Central Utah Water Conservancy District to give equal
19 consideration to sending Central Utah Project water north, as a full alternative to sending it
20 exclusively south, during the environmental impact statement planning process undertaken by the
21 Central Utah Water Conservancy District.
22 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be sent to the Central Utah
23 Water Conservancy District and the members of Utah's congressional delegation.




Legislative Review Note
as of 2-5-97 4:08 PM

A limited legal review of this bill raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

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