Partners and Stakeholders

Department of the Interior
The Department of the Interior is ultimately responsible for the completion and operations of the Central Utah Project (CUP) and all provisions of the Central Utah Project Completion Act (CUPCA) (P.L. 102-575). The Secretary of the Department of the Interior delegated the direct oversight responsibility to the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science.

Central Utah Project Completion Act Office
The Secretary of the Interior appointed a Program Director and limited staff to oversee all Departmental responsibilities for CUPCA legislation in Utah. The Central Utah Project Completion Act Office works with all other federal, state and local agencies, and the Ute Indian Tribe, in Utah to implement the CUPCA legislation.

Bureau of Reclamation
Upon completion of the Central Utah Project, the  Bureau of Reclamation will oversee all operational aspects of the CUP and ensure proper maintenance of all project features.

Central Utah Water Conservancy District
The CUWCD is a quasi-state agency formed under the laws of Utah to participate in the Central Utah Project. Under provisions of CUPCA, the CUWCD is authorized to plan and construct all remaining project features needed to complete the CUP. This was an unusual departure from traditional federal project planning and construction because these responsibilities typically reside with the Bureau of Reclamation. The CUWCD will sell all water and electric power developed by the CUP. They are also responsible to repay the federal government all reimbursable costs of the project. CUWCD was also tasked with other significant roles under the CUPCA legislation. Among these were the development and operation of a new water conservation program including establishing a quantitative water conservation goal and an active program of water conservation projects to meet that goal. Failure to meet and maintain the goal would result in significant financial penalties.

Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission
CUPCA established a new, independent federal commission, the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission (URMCC), to complete the fish, wildlife, and recreation mitigation obligations of the federal government associated with the CUP. The URMCC is composed of five directors appointed by the President of the United States. The URMCC received federal appropriations to complete its work and has wide authority to plan, fund and implement the needed mitigation measures.

Ute Indian Tribe
The Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation has been awarded many benefits under the new CUPCA. These provisions were enacted to compensate the tribe for CUP water project features promised to the tribe but never constructed.

June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program
The JSRIP is an interagency cooperative effort among nine state, federal and non-governmental groups to implement the approved Recovery Plan for the endangered June sucker fish (Chasmistes liorus). The June sucker occurs naturally only in Utah Lake and spawns only in the lower Provo River, both key CUP waters. In its Biological Opinions on the completion of the Diamond Fork System and the Utah Lake Basin Water Delivery System (ULS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service mandated the formation of the JSRIP as a conservation measure to offset the adverse impacts of the CUP. The JSRIP members are the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission, Utah State Department of Natural Resources, Central Utah Water Conservancy District, Provo River Water Users Association and Provo Reservoir Water Users Company, and a coalition of outdoor interest groups.

State of Utah
The state of Utah is an important partner in the CUP providing technical expertise, public interest leadership, planning guidance, and a cost share contribution to the completion of the CUP. Key agencies that lead the state participation are the Department of Natural Resources and its Division of Wildlife Resources, Division of Water Rights and Division of Water Resources.

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