Officials from the state of Utah and Bureau of Reclamation signed a contract last week which finalizes the Green River Water Rights Exchange agreement. According to a press release from the Bureau of Reclamation, the terms of the contract are that “the state agrees to forbear its right to deplete water from the Green River and its tributaries, enabling Reclamation to meet Endangered Species Act flow requirements. In exchange, the state of Utah will receive an equal amount of water released from Flaming Gorge Dam. The contract provides assistance in meeting flow and temperature requirements for the recovery of endangered fish, and allows Reclamation to continue operations in compliance with the 2006 Record of Decision.” Negotiations on the contract were complete in 2018 and the Reclamation recently announced that a Finding of No Significant Impact was the result of the latest National Environmental Policy Act review. “This water exchange contract represents a successful and productive partnership between the State of Utah and the federal government, a partnership aimed at providing maximum value from available water resources,” shares Brent Rhees, the Bureau’s Upper Colorado Regional Director. The contract between the Bureau of Reclamation and the state of Utah is meant to help avoid the need for expensive new water storage facilities by using an already available water source.
Link to PDF:
https://www.usbr.gov/uc/envdocs/ea/20190100-GreenRiverBlockWaterExchangeContract-FinalEAandFONSI-508-PAO.pdf
