Articles- Provo River Restoration Project

PRRP has been planned among government agencies, outdoor groups, biologists, local officials and the general public over the last ten years. A draft Environmental Impact Statement was published in 1996 for which two public meetings were held in Salt Lake City and Heber City. Comments were incorporated or responded to in a Final Environmental Impact Statement, which was released for public review, and a Record of Decision that was approved on February 23, 1998.

The following are important points identified in these documents:

• PRRP is not a "parkway' project which provides developed, intensive public uses. On the contrary, PRRP will provide limited and controlled public access; public uses must be compatible with the project's ecosystem restoration goals.

• PRRP does provide the best location for completing fish habitat restoration obligations as well as for ecosystem restoration in large part because of the 125 cfs minimum flows required below Jordanelle Reservoir.

• PRRP will not increase the likelihood of flooding on adjacent private property. Property owners will receive the same amount of flood protection under the Provo River Restoration Project as is currently provided by Jordanelle Dam upstream.

As part of its congressionally assigned task, the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission developed the Provo River Restoration Project (PRRP). This project will restore 12 miles of the middle Provo River between Jordanelle Dam and Deer Creek Reservoir in Wasatch County, Utah. This section of river was channelized in the 1950's and 1960's and consequently lost many of its abundant natural resources, such as riparian forests, emergent wetland, backwaters and deep holes. PRRP's objective is to realign the river to a more natural channel and regain the vegetative and wildlife resources once supported by the river.