Bear River Water Development Study

Client: State of Utah Department of Water Resources


Bowen Collins & Associates has been working with the State of Utah on the Bear River Pipeline Project to implement the Bear River Development Act. As Weber and Box Elder counties have grown over the last decade, the need to identify the route(s) for conveyance and storage facilities has intensified. Limited rights-of-way exist and many of those rights-of-way are being identified and planned for development, other utilities, or transportation corridors. The purpose of this project was to help identify the pipeline route and water storage sites so that land may be preserved for the project and impacts to the community and the environment may be minimized. This study helped the State identify environmental issues, prioritize property acquisition planning activities, identify potential recreational opportunities, and provided costs associated with the alternatives. The project will develop thousands of acre-feet of Utah’s water rights on the Bear River, for people of Cache County, Box Elder County, and the Wasatch Front. The technical components of the study included hydrologic evaluations of the Bear River watershed, an evaluation of project impacts to lake levels, water use and return flow studies, and effects of anticipated climate change.

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Quick Project Facts:


  • Evaluation of Water Storage Areas
  • Potential Pipeline Alignment
  • Environmental Impacts
  • Potential Recreational Opportunities