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PROVO -- A major construction project is about to get underway to enclose the Murdock Canal, the open waterway that carries water from Provo Canyon to the Point of the Mountain.
The first in a series of public meetings on the project to give people a better idea about the construction and pipeline begins Tuesday night. It was scheduled for 6 p.m. at Orchard Elementary School at 1035 N. 800 East in Orem.
Other meetings are planned for Pleasant Grove on July 21 and Lehi on July 28.
- Orem
Tuesday, July 13
Orchard Elementary
1035 N. 800 East
6:00 p.m. - Pleasant Grove
Wednesday, July 21
Pleasant Grove Jr. High School
810 N. 100 East - Lehi
Wednesday, July 28
Lehi Senior Center
123 N. Center St.
"The public meetings we're holding right now will allow [people] to have their questions answered on how the construction will affect them," said Steve Cain of the Provo Reservoir Canal Enclosure Project.
The Murdock Canal helps to deliver water from Deer Creek Reservoir to communities in northern Utah County, and almost every city in Salt Lake county gets its water from the canal. It's used for not only irrigation, but also drinking water.
Over the years the canal has been a safety concern and several people have drowned in it.
Starting in October, work will begin on installing a pipeline to transport the water, and the right-of-way will be converted into a walking trail for part of the pipeline. The project will take about two yaers to complete.
The massive pipe is being manufactured in Pleasant Grove and will create 65 new jobs. Each section is 10 feet in diameter and 40 feet long. More than 2,800 sections of pipe will be used to build the 21-mile pipeline.
The $150 million project will also create a 15-mile recreational trail. Part of it will be paved and it will be for hiking, jogging and even horseback riding.
"The residents of Utah County have been around this canal for 100 years. They've desired a trail for a very long time," said Cain. "This project will make the canal safer and provide a trail for them that they have had a lot of interest in."
The project is being paid for through a combination of sources, including the U.S. Department of the Interior, as well as several local water agencies.
E-mail: spenrod@ksl.com
