- Pineview Reservoir in Weber County will be largely drained as part of Ogden's ongoing pipeline replacement project.
- The move will allow for replacement of a pipeline section that crosses the bed of a narrow portion of the reservoir, a popular recreation draw.
- The overall project calls for replacement of 6.4-miles of aging pipeline that provides drinking water to Ogden.
OGDEN — Pineview Reservoir in Weber County will be largely drained later this year as part of the ongoing replacement of a 6.4-mile pipeline used to haul drinking water from around the reservoir to Ogden.
The large reservoir east of Ogden through the Ogden Canyon, a popular recreation destination, has three expansive branches that extend outward from the area where the body of water narrows before converging on the manmade dam that created the lake. Those three branches will be largely drained so a new pipeline can be installed along or under the reservoir bed to replace an existing pipeline.
"This section of pipeline connects the wellfield north of Pineview Reservoir to the transmission system at Port Ramp Marina and is a critical component of the water delivery infrastructure serving more than 120,000 customers in the Ogden area," the city said in a statement Friday. The pipeline crossing location is in a relatively narrow section of the reservoir's more northerly branch.
The statement doesn't say exactly when draining will begin, but maps on a website outlining project details show water will be largely gone from the three large branches by Sept. 15, leaving water only in the area of the reservoir around the dam and to the east.
"Any water released to support construction will remain within the broader water management system, where it will continue to serve beneficial uses and be managed through existing storage and delivery facilities, including Willard Bay," reads Friday's statement.
The reservoir is a popular summer draw for boaters, paddleboarders and swimmers, with several beach locations. The timing of the initiative, the city statement says, is meant to minimize impacts to recreation and take advantage of dry conditions that will likely lower the reservoir level anyway.
"The timing of this work is intended to minimize impacts to recreational use by taking advantage of naturally lower reservoir levels during a drought year rather than requiring more significant disruptions during a normal or high-water season," reads Friday's statement. "Project partners have been coordinating with marina operators, the Pineview Reservoir Yacht Club and other recreation partners and will continue providing updates as construction schedules are finalized."
The 6.4-mile, 36-inch-wide pipeline from the Pineview area through the Ogden Canyon to Ogden that's being replaced is 90 to 100 years old in sections and at the end of its life. As is, it is leaky in spots and the upgrade will result in savings of around 1 million gallons of water a day, according to city officials. The pipeline along the bed of the Pineview Reservoir, which requires the draining of the body of water, is around 55 years old.
The $100 million project started in 2024 and is to be completed by the spring of 2029. The replacement of the pipeline across Pineview Reservoir will take from November to next February.
Friday's statement doesn't outline the process for refilling Pineview Reservoir once the new pipeline is installed or specify how long that will take.
