On the plus side, construction activity is expected to create between 800 to 1,190 jobs and result in $72 million in direct income and $79 million in indirect money for Utah County.

An additional 30,000 acre-feet of water would become available to be routed to southern Utah County and another 30,000 acre-feet to Salt Lake County to help meet growing municipal and industrial needs.

The South County Mayors Group, the town of Genola and the cities of Santaquin, Payson, Springville, Spanish Fork, Salem, Mapleton, Elk Ridge and Woodland Hills have all filed documents verifying support for the project.

Reed Murray, deputy project director with the Department of the Interior, said the study was fast-tracked because of Utah's rapidly growing population and the ongoing drought.

He said the response has been good both from environmental groups and water organizations.

"We successfully negotiated 17 major contracts," Murray said. "Of course we can't execute them until we get a record of decision (from Interior), but when we do, we'll be all ready to go."

Murray said once a record of decision is made, the design and specifications will be mapped out and then the funding will need to be acquired.

It will probably be another year to two years before construction can begin if the preferred alternative is chosen, he said.

The other alternatives are to do nothing or to do a modified version of the plan.

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E-mail: haddoc@desnews.com