|
Utah Newest State Park (Sand Hollow
Reservoir)
Picture
Taken By Utah Outdoor Activities
Click
For Larger Picture
The
Sand Hollow Reservoir was dedicated on
April 18, 2003. The reservoir was conceived by the Washington County Water
Conservancy District ("District") in the early 1990s as an
additional storage reservoir for the Quail Creek system. It will be
located approximately 5.5 miles southwest of Hurricane almost directly
south of Quail Creek Reservoir. The reservoir will be created by two dams
and will have a surface area of over 1,000 acres. The District is
considering sizing the reservoir to include a drought pool for use only in
times of extreme drought.
A land exchange bill passed by Congress in
late 1996 authorized the District to trade a parcel of property it owned
adjacent to Zion National Park to the Bureau of Land Management in
exchange for the reservoir site. Subsequently, a environmental
assessment/project report and an archeological protection and recovery
measures were completed for the property. The assessments found no
negative effects that cannot be mitigated by the District during
construction and operation of the reservoir. The positive effects in
addition to increased water storage include additional recreation
facilities, increased habitat for water fowl and fish, and contributions
to the economy through a large construction project and service revenues
from recreators. Copies of both the project report and archeological
assessment are available at the District's office.
Water to fill the reservoir will come
through the existing Quail Creek Diversion and pipeline to a new 54-inch
pipeline which will be connected to the Quail Creek Pipeline near the
reservoir and run south to the Sand Hollow site. The pipeline will have
the capability to send water both directions between the Sand Hollow and
Quail Creek reservoir. The District will fill Sand Hollow reservoir during
periods of increased flow in the Virgin River between mid-October and mid
to late April, and then release water from the back into the Quail Creek
system during the remainder of the year.
The District has entered into a
cooperative, joint-funding agreement with the United States Geological
Survey and the Bureau of Reclamation to do a groundwater recharge study.
The design of the Sand Hollow reservoir includes a groundwater recharge.
The reservoir basin should provide additional recharge to the Navajo
Sandstone Aquifer of between 4,500 to 11,000 acre-feet per year through
seepage and infiltration. An estimated 5,000 acre-feet per year could be
recovered from groundwater through six to ten wells which will be drilled
down gradient from the reservoir. This study will be completed before
filling of the reservoir begins.
Rollins, Brown & Gunnell was selected
by the District along with Alpha Engineering as the design engineers for
the project. Drilling for the purpose of geotechnical exploration to
obtain information about the needed foundation and design began in
January. The current estimated cost of the project is $26 million.
In June, 2000, Progressive Contracting,
Inc. was awarded the contract for construction of the dams. The reservoir
will be enclosed by two dams, which will be referred to as the North Dam
and the West Dam. The North Dam is have a maximum height of about 97' and
a total length of 3000 feet. The West Dam is 7500 feet long and a maximum
height of 57 feet. The dams will be rock filled with a clay core. Volcanic
rock from the ridge east of the dam will be the primary source of rock.
The clay will come from Bench Lake, approximately two miles east of the
reservoir and the sand filter will come from sand and gravel pits.
G. W. Johansen was awarded in August,
2000, the contract to construct the pipeline and pump station. A new
60" pipeline will be constructed due south along a proposed road
extension to the Sand Hollow Reservoir. The pipeline is being designed so
the water could be conveyed by gravity flow from Sand Hollow to Quail
Creek Reservoir or pumped back up gradient in the opposite direction.
The reservoir began filling on April 8,
2002. It could take from three to five years to fill the reservoir.
Click here for more information on Sand Hollow
Campgrounds and Reservations!
|
