The Lake Powell pipeline is still alive. Enviros want to kill it for good.
A stalled regulatory process, extreme drought and significant opposition have stranded the Lake Powell pipeline in permitting purgatory, leading many to believe that the project was dead in the (lack of) water. But it’s not, and environmental nonprofits from across the Colorado River Basin want to change that. They are asking the Department of the Interior to eject the Lake Powell pipeline from future environmental permitting — essentially, to prevent it from ever being built. … The pipeline, which has been in limbo since 2020, would span 143 miles from shrinking Lake Powell to St. George and Kane County. Water managers in Washington County, where St. George is located, say that the city needs Colorado River water to sustain its booming population. The pipeline would draw 86,000 acre-feet per year of the lake’s water, which is supplied by the drought-stricken Colorado River, and cost the state between $1.3 and $2.2 billion to construct.
Related articles:
- Salt Lake Tribune: Utah cities want to reuse wastewater, which could further harm Great Salt Lake
- Fox 13 – Salt Lake City: Lake Powell pipeline is moved to the backburner