NOTE: The Bureau of Reclamation has formally terminated the process to develop an Enivornmental Impact Statement for the construction of the Lake Powell Pipeline Project.

• September 9, 2020 - Surrounding states bash Utah's Lake Powell pipeline project. By Brain Maffley for the Salt Lake Tribune

____________________________________________

UPDATES: MARCH, 2019

• March 20 - Green River Block Water Right Contract signed. St. George News.
• March 21 - Green River Block Water Right Contract litigated. Associated Press.
• March 21 - LLP Management Committee Presentation

WHY IS THE LAKE POWELL PIPELINE PROJECT EVEN ON THE TABLE?

• Because growth drives the economy. Since it is impossible to exceed the speed limit of nature, this economic model eventually ends in failure. The transition to the replacement of this model is happening right now. We live in exciting times and it is imperative to pay attention.
• Even though actual wet water does not exist anymore in the Colorado River Basin, the Law of the River, as it is currently written, allows new diversions to occur (See Upper Basin Depletion Schedule to Year 2060 in 2007 Interim Guidelines). Water management in the Colorado River basin has become a junk yard, pickup truck. It runs, but it ain't going beyond the horizon.
• It is totally reasonable to say: every proposed water project in the Colorado River Basin is a threat to the public interest. The regional mandate should be: we will fix this mess and do no more harm. Contarily, the water managers continue to run on auto-pilot and continue to make-things-up as they roll along.
• What does exist are potential agreements between farmers and cities to exchange water with financial contracts, which will add to the total cost burden of any project, like the Lake Powell Pipeline. Meaningful discussions with the farmers have yet to occur.
• It is logical that such water transfer agreements should be secured before the actual construction of any project begins, because it remains uncertain if the farmers are even interested in participating. To restore the balance between demand and supply, about 2 million acre-feet is required.
• It is reasonable to assume that some farmers will negotiate a deal. However, most farmers will not negotiate a deal, because they have deep ethics about feeding the nation.
• The population increase projection of Washington County, Utah, is to Year 2060. This projection is completely tied to the promise of the Upper Basin Depletion Schedule.
• This depletion schedule is tied to a document that is totally wrong, 2007 Interim Guidelines. It is wrong because new Drought Contingency Planning Documents are being developed to address the flaws of Interim Guidelines. Both documents expire at midnight on December 31, 2025.
• Indeed, time has proven that Interim Guidelines are flawed and, since they were inaugurated in December of 2007, and so is each and every proposed water project on the table. The Lake Powell Pipeline Project formally started in 2008.
• This mess is just getting more and more painful to watch.
• Here is the most useful graphic from the Final EIS of 2007 Interim Guidelines. Colorado River System Simulation (CRSS); the baseline data is the hydrologic record of the 20th century; three traces juxtaposed with the 10th, 50th and 90th percentiles, under No Action Alternative (business-as-usual) and to Year 2060. System failure, due to empty reservoirs for multiple-years will eventually happen, as will full reservoir recovery, when the epic snowmelt finally arrives. The management of the hydrologic extremes is the imperative for dam operations, not the statistical norm. Until full adaptation to this hydrologic imperative is accomplished, the system will fail long before sediment fill compromises water storage and flood control. Interim Guidelines will be replaced before December 31, 2025. If the replacement document is more of the same, the Reclamation Era ends and its place in history will be bookmarked as a complete failure. 

###

Public comments to UBWR's response (next headings) are due March 11, 2019; FERC notice.

DOCUMENTS OF CITIZENS AND AGENCIES. In response to response of UBWR.

• Western Resource Advocates: Comments of response with exhibits.

DOCUMENTS OF UTAH WATER RESOURCES BOARD (UBRW). Response to Citizens and Agencies.

• The subsequent 45-day response period deadline is January 3, 2019
• The Utah Water Resources Board requested an extension of time and their report was formally transmitted on January 18, 2019.
•  All documents combined
• Reply of UWRB
• Attachment A
• Attachment B (1 of 3)
• Attachment B (2 of 3; Maps)
• Attachment B (3 of 3)
• Attachment C
• Attachment D
• Attachment E
• Attachment F
• Attachment G

PUBLIC LETTERS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEADLINE OF 11/19/18.  Read FERC's Order here.

• Living Rivers
• Conserve Southern Utah
• Kaibab Band of Pauite Indians
• Southern Ute Tribe
• Living Rivers & Colorado Riverkeeper
• American Rivers
• State of Colorado
• Western Resource Advocates
• Motion to Intervene: Colorado River Water Conservancy District
• Mr. Howard
• Motion to Intervene: Las Vegas Paiute Tribe
• Motion to Intrvene: Pinal County
• Save The Colorado
• Utah Rivers Council
• Motion to Intervene: Sierra Club: Utah Chapter
• Motion to Intervene: Great Basin Water Network

• US Army Corps of Engineers
• Office of Enviromental Policy and Compliance. DOI.
• Center for Biological Diversity

To comment, citizens can visit:

• http://ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp
• The project number is P-12966-000

If you need information to help with your comment, go to:

• http://conserveswu.org/

When youre ready to submit, heres how to submit a Lake Powell Pipeline comment to FERC:

• Go to ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp
• Click the orange eRegister button.
• Fill out your personal information, including an email address (which serves as your username), and create a password.
• At the bottom, select Next by the sentence that begins Proceed to full registration.
•  As prompted, fill out your address information and another company contact (or file as a private individual), and click on Done.
•  FERC will send an email from eRegistrationProd@ferc.gov to the email address provided.
•  In the email from FERC, click the link that reads to confirm your email address and complete your registration to complete the registration and take you back to FERCs online portal.
•  Below your personal information and under the Enter Docket box, type in P-12966-000 (the Lake Powell Pipelines docket number).
•  Click the blue plus sign to the right of the first entry that shows up (Application for a Preliminary Permit for the Lake Powell Pipeline Project. RM).
•  Add a comment (fewer than 6,000 characters) in the box directly below (to right of Comment).
•  Select Send Comment to submit.

If this is all too confusing, just type, print and mail your comments to
the following address:

Kimberly D. Bose,Secretary
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 1st Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20426
RE: P-12966-004

• ###

ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD: LAKE POWELL PIPELINE

CLICK HERE to visit the FERC document library for the complete administrative record of the Lake Powell Pipeline The docket # is: P-12966.

The docket is huge. You can reduce the query by selecting a subdocket, which are: 001; 002; 003; 004 & 005 (the files are in chronological order). You can also narrow the search by selecting a range of dates.

NEWS:

• 2018, October - The Precarious Plan for the Lake Powell Pipeline. Emma Penrod for High Country News.
• 2018, October - Probe Into Lake Powell Pipeline Project Continues, Public Comments Due. Rutherford.
• 2018, September - FERC decides to limit its jurisdiction to the hydropower generation component of the Lake Powell Pipeline. This means the other components of the LPP Project will involve the jurisctions of other federal agencies.
• Read FERC's Order here.
• Read this story about FERC's decision by The Associated Press.

CLICK HERE to read about the suspension of the permitting process that began in December of 2017.

• News clip about request for reinstatement by Mori Kessler of St. George News

NEW DOCUMENTS SINCE DECEMBER SUSPENSION

• August 22, 2018 - Letter from Utah Water Resources Board to FERC
• February 20, 2018 - Campaign for Accountabilty requests Utah Attorney General to investigate Representative Mike Noel for conflicts of interest regarding Lake Powell Pipeline
• August 23, 2018 - Utah Rivers Council posts this letter (March 15, 2018) on the FERC administrative website 
• August 30, 2018 - Pinal County, Arizona, files as an intervenor against the Lake Powell Pipeline

NEWS

• National Ethics Group Calls For Investigation of Utah Rep. Noel Failing To Disclose Conflict.
• Utah Rep. Noel To Benefit Personally and Professionally From New Reduced GSENM Boundary.
• OpEd: Funding Lake Powell Pipeline Is Possible.