Corn Creek Watershed Plan-EA

 

Sponsor: Kanosh Town

Co-sponsors: Corn Creek Irrigation Company
Page updated:  March 2024 — This page will continue to be updated as the project progresses.

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Corn Creek Watershed Plan-EA  –  Project FAQ Sheet

 

Project Description

The United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), with Kanosh Town as the project sponsor and Corn Creek Irrigation Company as project co-sponsor with the Kanosh Band of Paiutes Tribe as project participants, is proposing to partially fund watershed protection measures through the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (Public Law [PL] 83-566) in the Corn Creek Watershed, Millard County. The main objective of the project is to address concerns about flooding potential, potential failure of the existing debris basin due to seepage that is occurring in the embankment’s foundation and water shortages each irrigation season caused by reduced flow in Corn Creek as the year progresses, which increases demand on groundwater resources, limits crop production and cropping options, and impacts economic development in Kanosh.

Conceptual improvements may include:

  1. Flood Prevention
    • New reservoir/debris basin
    • Route flood flows around town and/onto fields
    • Improve recharge of primary aquifer
  2. Agricultural Water Management
    • Improve irrigation water supply
    • Provide sustainable pressurized conveyance system
    • Increase reliability of water deliveries to Paiute tribal lands
 
Project Location

To view a map of the project watershed area, click here.

 

NEPA Analysis

NRCS, as the lead federal agency, is initiating National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis in the form of a Watershed Plan and Environmental Assessment (Plan-EA) to analyze impacts to the natural and human environment from this project. The Plan-EA will comply with the Council on Environmental Quality’s regulations at 40 CFR Parts 1500-1508 and the Natural Resources Conservation Service Regulations (7 CFR Part 650), which require an evaluation of potential environmental impacts associated with federal projects and actions.

 

Current Status

The Draft Plan-EA has been reviewed by NRCS-Utah, who had minimal comments. After these comments are addressed, the Draft Plan-EA will be submitted to the National Watershed Management Center (NWMC) for final review and approval.

 

Project Schedule
  • Scoping Public Comment Period :: April 29, 2021 — May 28, 2021

You can click here to view the Scoping Report. (It may take a few moments to load.)

  • Scoping Public Virtual Open House :: May 12, 2021

You can click here to see the meeting flyer, presentation, and a recording of the meeting.

  • Alternative Development and Analysis :: Spring 2021 — Winter 2021/2022
 
  • Preparation of Draft Watershed Plan – Environmental Assessment (Draft Plan-EA) :: Spring 2022 — Fall 2023
 
  • Draft Plan-EA Public Comment Period (30 days) :: Winter 2023/2024
 
  • Preparation of Draft Plan-EA & Finding of No Significant Impact (Plan-EA and FONSI) :: Spring 2024
 
  • Issue of Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) :: Spring 2024

 

Contact Information

Layne Jensen, P.E. – Franson Civil Engineers
1276 South 820 East Suite 100
American Fork, UT 84003
[email protected]
801-756-0309

Jason Dodds – USDA-NRCS
125 South State Street, Room 4010
Salt Lake City, UT 84138
[email protected]
Office: 435-590-7661
 

More Information

Here are links to some resources that were asked about in our public meeting:

Corn Creek Dam Data: https://www.waterrights.utah.gov/cgi-bin/damview.exe?Modinfo=Viewdam&DAM_NUMBER=UT00322

NRCS Corn Creek project webpage: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/ut/programs/planning/wpfp/?cid=nrcseprd1769083

Other current PL-566 projects in Utah: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/ut/programs/planning/wpfp/