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.