ST. GEORGE — The Bureau of Reclamation has proposed a budget increase for the Central Utah Project to help expedite completion of the massive water resource development program, according to Mark Limbaugh, U.S. assistant secretary for water and science.

"The president just announced his proposed 2008 budget of $958 million for the Bureau of Reclamation and there's $43 million for the CUP. That's $9 million more over the 2006 levels," Limbaugh said Tuesday at the Utah Water Users Conference. "We have a changed Congress to work with, but water is not a partisan issue."

The new Democratic Congress may disagree with the Bureau of Reclamation about funding priorities, Limbaugh said. But he plans to work "both sides of the isle."

"Don't look for any extra money with this Congress. It's very competitive and we have to deal with these limitations," he said. "We need to manage water more effectively. More of us need to manage water more as an asset than an entitlement, and that's a good thing in my opinion."

Limbaugh said the first filling of the newly enlarged, $34 million Big Sand Wash Dam — located about half a mile north of Upalco, Duchesne County — will take place March 12. Some of the water from that reservoir will be delivered to irrigators and municipal users through the Big Sand Wash Roosevelt Pipeline, he added.

"I am pleased to say that this pipeline is 70 percent complete and we anticipate that we may be able to make deliveries this season," he said.

The Bureau of Reclamation also received federal funds for the Utah Lake System, which will help pay for design work for the Spanish Fork Canyon Pipeline.

"This pipeline will be the first feature of the Utah Lake System to be constructed," he said. "Once completed, the system will convey an additional 60,000 acre-feet to the Wasatch Front."

Limbaugh praised Utah water resource managers and the state's efforts to reduce water consumption.

"I look to Utah as a leader. When I look across the West, Utah stands out. It has some very visionary people," he said.

Limbaugh's speech also touched on a program to leverage federal dollars by partnering with state and local agencies to fund various water-system and management-improvement projects around the region.

The Rural Water Supply Act, passed by the last Congress, will benefit rural water users as they face extraordinary maintenance and replacement costs, he said.

"We have a number of great cooperative projects here in Utah. The most extensive is the Central Utah Project Completion Act," Limbaugh said. "We could be facing some significant droughts in the future. It's imperative we work together to keep crisis from becoming the order of the day."

The Utah Water Users Conference attracted 658 people to the Dixie Center for two days of workshops. A wide range of topics were discussed, including water rights and legal issues, conservation and technology, water resources and supplies, and water quality.

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E-mail: nperkins@desnews.com