WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY (Washington County, Utah)
THE DIXIE PROJECT
LOCATION
TBDHISTORY
The Colorado River Basin Project was authorized by the act of September 30, 1968 (Public Law 90-537, 82 Stat. 885). Authorized developments included the Central Arizona Project (Arizona, New Mexico, and the Dixie Project in Utah) in the Lower Colorado River Basin.The Dixie Project was a plan in the 1950s and 1960s to building a large dam on the Virgin River. Money was obtained from the federal government but engineers were unable to find a suitable site (where water wouldn't percolate into the ground), so the money had to be returned.
In an interesting twist, many years later the Sand Hollow Reservoir was built with the purpose of letting water recharge the water table.
REFERENCES
The politics and history of the Dixie Project, UtahBook by David Lloyd, 1968
Title 43 USC Chapter 12, Subchapter XLII: Dixie Project, Utah
Title 43 - Public Lands
Chapter 12 - Reclamation and Irrigation of Lands by the Federal Government
Subchapter XLII - Dixie Project, Utah
Section 616aa, Pub. L. 88–565, §1, Sept. 2, 1964, 78 Stat. 848,
authorized construction, operation, and maintenance of Dixie project, Utah,
and described the principal features of this project.
Section 616aa–1, Pub. L. 90–537, title III, §307, Sept. 30, 1968, 82 Stat. 893,
reauthorized this project for construction and provided for integration and
participation of this project in Lower Colorado River Basin Development Fund.
Section 616bb, Pub. L. 88–565, §2, Sept. 2, 1964, 78 Stat. 848,
related to protection of downstream water users against impairment of water
quality from operations of this project and to indemnification.
Section 616cc, Pub. L. 88–565, §3, Sept. 2, 1964, 78 Stat. 848,
related to laws governing this project.
Section 616dd, Pub. L. 88–565, §4, Sept. 2, 1964, 78 Stat. 848,
related to establishment of a conservancy district or similar organization
prior to construction of this project.
Section 616ee, Pub. L. 88–565, §5, Sept. 2, 1964, 78 Stat. 848,
related to interest rate, repayment of construction costs and period for repayment.
Section 616ff, Pub. L. 88–565, §6, Sept. 2, 1964, 78 Stat. 849,
related to construction, operation, and maintenance of recreational facilities
in connection with this project.
Section 616gg, Pub. L. 88–565, §7, Sept. 2, 1964, 78 Stat. 849, provided that use
of water diverted for this project from Colorado river system be subject to
Colorado River compact, Boulder Canyon Project Act (43 U.S.C. 617 et seq.),
and Mexican Water Treaty (Treaty Series 994).
Section 616hh, Pub. L. 88–565, §8, Sept. 2, 1964, 78 Stat. 849; Pub. L. 90–537, title III, §307, Sept. 30, 1968, 82 Stat. 893,
authorized appropriations for this project.
Public Law 88-565, September 2, 1964, authorizing the Dixie Project, Utah
Statute 78, Pages 848-849
Public Law 90-537, September 30, 1968, amending the Dixie Project authorization
Statute 82, Pages 885-901 (see Section 307 on Page 893)
Dixie Project and Virgin River water supply