Several canal projects are underway in Uintah County. Uintah Water Conservancy District General Manager William Merkley provided a general update on the projects and their progress during the NewsTalk KVEL Monday radio forum. The canal companies for the Rock Point Canal in the north end of the valley and the Highline and Ashley Upper Canal on the west side of the valley have moved forward with encasing the canals with pipe. The large black pipe was purchased by the canal companies and stockpiled in the Conservancy District yard and now much of the pipe is in the ground. Canal companies choose to pipe canals in order to prevent seepage and deliver the water to their shareholders as efficiently as possible. “Not only are the irrigators getting the benefits of increased efficiencies and water delivering capabilities with the pipeline,” explains Merkley, “but abandoning those channels and making arrangements for the county to use those for flood control and flood mitigation [is another benefit].” Money was obtained to purchase the easements from the canal companies, says Merkley, so those channels will remain open and maintained to manage flooding events like summer thunderstorms.
