Whether rain or shine, snow or mud, the crews working on the Steinaker Service Canal Enclosure Project are making progress. Uintah Water Conservancy District General Manager William Merkley shares that the long term project to enclose the entirety of the Steinaker Service Canal is about halfway complete with about 6 miles of pipeline installed of the approximate 12 miles of canal. In 2016 and 2017, the southernmost 3.3 miles of the canal were enclosed. The current phase of the project has brought the pipeline up to 1500 West and about 1300 South. Work is also on display for those traveling Highway 40 where a short section of pipe is installed underneath Highway 40 at Aggie Blvd which is about 1700 West. Because the canal’s slope is extremely shallow, a large diameter pipe is being used and it is the largest diameter pressure pipe to be installed in the United States. The canal will be operated on a hybrid system utilizing both open and piped sections to deliver water. The next phase of the project will continue the pipeline north with the ultimate goal of connecting directly with Steinaker. When that begins will depend on funding.
