The Strawberry Aqueduct and Collection System (SACS), a feature of the Central Utah Project, consists of a series of pipelines, tunnels, aqueducts and reservoirs that capture water from the Colorado River Basin and divert it to the Bonneville Basin for use along the Wasatch Front. The 37-mile-long aqueduct connects Upper Stillwater Reservoir, located on Rock Creek, to Strawberry Reservoir. Along its course, SACS intercepts water from a total of ten streams.
It was anticipated that, without implementing mitigation measures, approximately
75 percent of adult trout habitat within the ten affected
streams would be lost due to construction and operation
of SACS. Thus, the Streamflow Agreement of 1980, and
its amendment in 1990, was enacted to maintain 50
percent of adult trout habitat in the four largest
affected streams: Rock Creek, West Fork of the Duchesne
River, Currant Creek and Strawberry River. The 1988
Aquatic Mitigation Plan was developed to offset remaining
losses by constructing instream habitat improvements,
restoring natural flows to upper Strawberry River
tributaries (click
here to link to the Wasatch County Water Efficiency
Project with Daniels Replacement Pipeline for more
info), replacing the egg-taking station on Strawberry
River near Strawberry Reservoir, and acquiring approximately
51 miles of public access to mitigate for lost angling
opportunities along the dewatered streams.
In November 1999, a final
Environmental Assessment was issued for completing
remaining angler-access and terrestrial wildlife mitigation
acquisitions and establishing long-term management
guidelines for the mitigation lands. The scope of
the "Angler-Access
Mitigation Program, Strawberry Aqueduct and Collect
System, Final EA" entailed acquiring a remaining
8.1 river miles of angler access and providing management
and protection of all acquired properties, thereby
completing the mitigation commitments.
Angler access acquisitions are nearly complete. Stream
access has been acquired on the West Fork of the Duchesne,
North Fork of the Duchesne, Duchesne River, Rock Creek,
Currant Creek, and Strawberry River where instream
flows are provided, and generally, where instream
habitat improvements have been made. [Click
here to view maps showing stream access areas.]
Remaining acquisitions include a one-mile section
on the Strawberry River below Soldier Creek Dam, and
eleven easements on the main stem of the Duchesne
River totaling approximately 1.0 miles. After acquisitions
are complete, the program focus will shift to management.
Activities will include implementing Operating Agreements,
removing debris from acquired properties, installing
fencing, weed control and constructing parking areas.
After easements or lands have been acquired and public
access facilities are complete, user guides will be
prepared.
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