Department of the Interior Extends Protection for the Diamond Fork System’s Water Delivery
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WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah – Consistent with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s commitment to be a good neighbor, the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science signed a Public Land Order that extends for 20 years a withdrawal from mineral location and entry to allow for continued construction, operation, and maintenance of the Diamond Fork System’s underground pipelines and tunnels that deliver water from Strawberry Reservoir to the Wasatch Front.
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 numbers and industrial development are rapidly growing. Improved flood control and water quality are also among the project benefits.
“This public land order helps to ensure the continued operation of the Diamond Fork water system,” said BLM West Desert District Manager Kevin Oliver. “The safe delivery of water resources to the Wasatch Front supports our State and Federal partners' priority of meeting the demands of population growth and industrial development.”
The withdrawal, which includes 2,714 acres of subsurface estate, keeps the lands closed to location and entry under the United States mining laws, subject to valid existing rights, but does not affect leasing under the mineral leasing laws. The Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest administers the surface estate.
For additional information, please contact Allison Ginn at (801) 977-4300. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to leave a message or question with the above individual. The FRS is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Replies are provided during normal business hours.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.