Comments about ‘Lake Powell Pipeline clears another hurdle’

Please do not bury the residents of Iron, Washington and Kane counties with the open ended multi-billion dollar tax debt for this behemoth, especially in the middle of a recession with the "growth" that was supposed to "pay for it all" stopped dead in the water and years worth of unwanted homes already in inventory.

That's the 3 billion dollar Lake Powell Pipeline. Whoever wrote this story is well behind the estimated cost curve.

The government has absolutely no business being involved in this area. The only purpose of government is to protect the public from physical harm.

Seems like a good idea to me, if it is cost effective.

What a great idea! This should have been in the works long ago.

You are little behind the times.

That's the only purpose of government? If that were so, we'd have no highways in the West yet.

While I agree that this should be funded through private means as much as possible this project is "infrastructure" and therefore the government should have some oversight and involvement. With regards to Hopping Mad's comments you are being incredibly short-sighted. Although there are costs to be borne to pay for the study any actual construction is years away. Who is to say what kind of economic conditions will prevail at that time? Far be it from me to predict the future, but I believe we will be in better shape then than we are now.

To Bigger Picture: consigning 175,000 people to several billion dollars of extra tax debt because of rosy optimism about future growth is reckless. Of course those who won't have to pay for it are some of the biggest most strident cheerleaders. If it's such a great idea, make the whole state swallow the billion dollar tab for it, don't force the people of three counties to pay the entire enormous cost, interest for which will annually equal an amount greater than those counties entire existing budgets.

This project is not a response to growth but the cause of it.

At some point, wouldn't it make more sense to say that So. Utah growth is limited by its water resources rather than spending this kind of money gambling that the projected growth will materialize to pay for it and that the availability of water from Powell will work out?

Sorry, but the rest of the State is paying for their own water projects. We don't want to pay for that boondoggle, either.

Do not kid yourself this will turn into a way to sell more water to Las Vegas, the great Water whore of the west.

The Lake Powell pipeline is nothing but "political pandering" for Ron Thompson of the Water Conservancy District. Washington County by no means needs water from Lake Powell. However, the "right" people want to make the money to build the pipeline and leave the political "legacy" for themselves and so this disaster is still being pursued.

A HUGE mistake to build the Lake Powell pipeline.

Why would Las Vegas need to buy water from the Lake Powell pipeline??? The water is already running from Lake Powell down the river to Lake Mead for Las Vegas.....

I'm just worried that in ten years, I won't be able to enjoy my favorite vacation spot anymore because there won't be any water left!

As someone that is very familiar with the environmental review process, I can tell you it will be closer to 2015 before any water flows and thats IF it passes the process and is ultimately approved.

This project will require an EIS not an EA, which in itself will take years.

In response to the "2015" commentary. Don't forget .. once the Cultural studies are complied with that the areas designated as significant could all together alter the course of the pipeline and add more time for additional studies required to investigate alternate routes. There's sure to be a passel of prehistoric sites in that route! 2017 may not be too pessimistic a guess for completion.

2012 is definitely a wrong date. Not sure where that came from. This project may be moving along and the water people hopeful, but a project that started at around $186 million 10 yrs ago is now at $1.06 billion, and that's without interest! Where will it end? The 3 counties will not pay for this. All Utahns will pay for this and should be up in arms. All Utahns who love the clean air of Southern Utah and look forward to getting away and enjoying the area should be shocked and concerned that our leaders and water people are stuck in history. Yes the pioneers developed water but they would be shocked at this latest effort go beyond what's reasonsable. Grow the area to 1 million and then run out of water and give it its true cost? What an abysmal idea. Conservation is the cheapest water.

I predict that it will never happen...environmental groups like "SueYa" will tie it up in court to the point that the proponents will cut their losses and give up. Lots of money will be wasted but the lawyers and EIS writers will prosper...