9 water projects awarded funding

Published: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 7:14 p.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 

The Utah Water Quality Board awarded nearly $4 million in federal stimulus money to nine water-quality projects throughout Utah.

All of the projects are to meet certain "green" requirements outlined by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The biggest award — $1 million — is going to the Ogden River restoration project.

Ogden Mayor Matthew Godfrey told the board the project is important for the city.

"It's a community that's been blighted for generations," Godfrey said.

The Ogden River restoration project, designed to widen a one-mile portion of the river's channel, is part of major redevelopment in the area around the river, where whole neighborhoods are boarded up and vacant.

Developers are ready to begin work. And though Ogden was hoping for $2 million, design engineer Jason Carey said he's happy to have $1 million. City officials will continue seeking funding elsewhere, Carey said.

Stimulus funds also were awarded to the Utah State University Research Foundation, which is working with Logan on a $15 million project to improve the water quality in Cutler Reservoir.

Story continues below

The project, which the board granted $500,000, is designed to grow enough algae to consume phosphorus in Logan's wastewater lagoons. The algae can then be harvested to be converted into biofuels, such as biodiesel, to power the city's garbage trucks.

By removing the phosphorus from the water, which is used as irrigation water, less algae growth should occur in the reservoir when irrigation water runoff ends up there.

Two projects on the Jordan River designed to remove sediment and restore the stream channel garnered $577,500 and $484,200.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources plans to remove 1.2 million pounds of carp from Utah Lake using commercial seines. The $251,600 the board awarded to the division should help it reach that goal by August. Eventually, the division would like to remove 5 million pounds of carp each year.

The nine projects must meet recovery act requirements by Nov. 15 or the board can revoke the funding.

E-MAIL: jdougherty@desnews.com

TWITTER: desnewsdavis

Recent comments

What does waterboarding have to do with the stimulus?

Anonymous | June 25, 2009 at 2:04 p.m.

It's time to change the debate about stimulus. The focus should not...

Economics in One Lesson | June 25, 2009 at 8:07 a.m.

previousnext

Latest comments

i think the jazz players are scared of sloan. he is so grumpy and scarry when...

Audit calls to end rehiring retirees

So, since I retired from the Army at age 40 (20 years of service) and draw my...

This is ridiculous. If there is something offensive like animal...

Here is hoping her works out. Poor tackler in the video. Bad form, alot of...

I totally disagree with Colleen. The photo of the two hugging said more in...

Will state consider gay rights law?

To Mark who said: "...And I would also bet, based on the LDS Church's change...

SLC council OKs gay rights policies

Why is the LDS church sending a member to give this statement? They (we)...

Funny, I don't remember reading about Scrooge shrinking and getting hit in...

Prep football: Felt's Facts Week

To open enrollment - it is called competition. If you lock a good kid in a...

Utes remain silent about BCS

To all you yapping Cewg fans that mock Utah's chances of a BCS bid, one thing...

Advertisements
Advertisement