Document Type

Report

Publication Date

10-2006

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to reduce the amount of salt entering the Paria River and ultimately the Colorado River. One way to reduce the amount of salt reaching the Colorado River is to eliminate seepage from the historic Tropic Ditch. The Bureau of Reclamation, Provo Area Office has proposed funding for the project under the Colorado River Salinity Control Program. In addition to reducing the amount of salt loading, the project would also conserve water lost to evaporation and seepage.

The purpose of this Environmental Assessment (EA) is to analyze the potential environmental consequences of the proposed construction of an irrigation pipeline by Tropic and East Fork Irrigation Company. The construction of the pipeline would originate approximately one mile within the east border of Bryce Canyon National Park. The pipeline would follow approximately one mile of an existing cattle trail through the park. It would continue to pass through the Tropic Canyon and eventually into the Tropic Valley near the town of Tropic in Garfield County, Utah. The pipeline would replace about 5.5 miles of existing open ditch with about 4 miles of pipe.

This EA identifies potential environmental consequences including changes to riparian vegetation, wildlife and biological productivity within seep-created riparian habitat along the ditch as well as consequences to cultural resources. The EA identifies management practices and mitigation measures that would be implemented to reduce or eliminate undesirable effects during project construction.

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Comments

PRO-EA-06-02

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