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Bulletin Board
Little Dell Dam and Reservoir
Project
March 7, 2000
Introduction
Little Dell Dam and Reservoir are
located approximately 1-1/2 miles upstream from Mountain Dell
reservoir, about seven miles east of Salt Lake City. The Corps
of Engineers built dam is a 224-foot high-zoned earthfill dam with a
crest length of about 1,700 feet. Its 20,500 acre-feet of
reservoir storage capacity is allocated for flood control, water
supply and recreation benefits under a 1986 Local Cooperation
Agreement (LCA) and subsequent amendments. The Metropolitan Water
District of Salt Lake City (MWDSLC) and Salt Lake County are the two
local sponsors of the project. Salt Lake City donated the land
for the project, and the Salt Lake City Department of Public
Utilities operates and maintains the project in unison with its
3,000 acre-foot Mt. Dell Reservoir under an interlocal agreement
with the sponsors.
The Genesis of Little Dell
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The 1952 flood inundated the 1300
South Flood Plain. Viewed on April 27, 1952 is the1300 South
dike at 600 West looking
west. | Construction of a
storage facility on Dell Creek in Parleys Canyon, Salt Lake County,
Utah was first considered in the late 1940s when Dr. Ray E. Marsell,
geologist consultant for the Utah Water and Power Board, recommended
the project to the Salt Lake City Commission. The City Commission
favorably viewed the project as an alternative to raising Mt. Dell
Dam; however it took a flood to bring the issue to the forefront.
Heavy 1952 spring rains on top of
record snowmelt inundated over 400 city blocks within the 1300 South
flood plain causing $6 million in damages. Hundreds were
evacuated from their homes. To minimize the damage, a dike was
constructed on 1300 South to convey the floodwaters to the Jordan
River. In the aftermath, City leaders recommended the construction
of Little Dell dam to prevent future flooding. Led by Water
Superintendent Charles W. Wilson, Water Commissioner Grant M.
Burbidge, City Engineer Roy W. McLeese and Dr. Marsell, the group
urged the construction of a dam rather than building a larger storm
drain system.
Mayor Earl J. Glade requested the Army Corps of Engineers to
assist the City in alleviating future flooding problems. After
studying the matter, one of the Corp’s recommendations was to
construct Little Dell Dam.
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On May 7, 1952 flood waters at Hope
Avenue (1400 South) and 350 West looking towards the
Northwest. Forty City blocks were under water.
| Sponsored by Salt Lake
City, the Little Dell Project was first authorized by Congress under
the 1960 Flood Control Act. The project was sized at 50,000
acre-feet and later 30,000 acre-feet with diversions from Mill
Creek, Emigration Creek and Parleys Creek. Tunnels would divert and
convey the waters of Mill Creek and Emigration into the Parleys
Canyon drainage. It was again authorized in 1968 under the
Flood Control Act and Water Development Act of 1976. Interest
in Little Dell continued with site investigation and preliminary
planning, but there was not sufficient impetus for Congress to fund
the project. In fact, delays frustrated Salt Lake City officials to
a point that on January 17, 1962 they decided to “wash their hands
of the Army Corps of Engineers and build the proposed Little Dell
Dam in Parleys Canyon on strictly a local basis.”\1
The 1983 Flood
According to the USGS, most of the United States received above
normal precipitation during 1982-83. Fourteen states
experienced precipitation with a frequency rate of once in 100
years, with a few exceeding more than 200 years. Likewise, the
western United States received higher than normal snow pack, and
combined with a late snowmelt, high spring runoff caused widespread
flooding. USGS noted that California, Nevada and Utah
experienced one of the most severe winters since the agency began
collecting climatic data in the 1880s. Flooding occurred in the
Sierra Nevada area near Carson and Reno and on the Truckee
River. The snowpack in the Colorado River Basin rose to 142
percent of normal by late spring. In late May, the inflow into
Lake Powell increased from 36,000 cfs to about 90,000 cfs, reaching
a peak flow of about 126,000 cfs in June. High releases from
Lake Powell and Lake Mead caused flooding along the Colorado River
in Arizona and California.
Within the state of Utah nearly every county incurred flooding
with estimated damage costs over $200 million . In Provo
Canyon SR92 was closed due to flooding. Diking was necessary to keep
Utah Lake from inundating I-15 south of Provo, Utah. The
Provo, Ogden and Weber Rivers flowed at flood stages.
Mudslides were common throughout the state. The largest, the Thistle
slide in Spanish Fork Canyon blocked the Spanish Fork River putting
the small town under water forcing 22 families to abandon their
homes. Major rail and highway transportation systems were
disrupted by the massive slide.
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1983 dike along 1300 South at 700
West Street. Late season snowmelt caused widspread flooding in
Utah. | Flooding within Salt
Lake City peaked during late May. On May 26, 1983, like 1952, a dike
was once again constructed on 1300 South to contain flood flows
resulting from releases from Mt. Dell Reservoir and runoff from Red
Butte and Emigration Canyon streams that combine at the 1300 South
Conduit. Three days later City Creek jumped its banks and it
was necessary to sandbag State Street to contain the flood
waters. Thousands of volunteers stacked sandbags to make the
“State Street River.”
Later it was determined that local government’s effective flood
control efforts on 1300 South prevented the inundation of 1,400
acres of land in the 1300 South flood plain and resulting flood
damages estimated at $140 million. Despite the efforts,
approximately $10 million in damages resulted to Parleys, Emigration
and Red Butte creeks.
The ’83 floods renewed interest in building Little Dell.
The Realization of Little Dell
Project
Mayor Ted Wilson worked to get Little Dell built. On June 29,
1983 he testified before Congress to gain funding for the
project. Governor Scott Matheson urged construction of the
project. Senator Jake Garn R-Utah took an active role in the
effort.
On October 17, 1983, the Little Dell Task Force, comprising of
representatives from Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Metropolitan
Water District of Salt Lake City (MWDSLC) and the State Division of
Water Resources was formed for the purpose of securing the
construction of Little Dell.
On November 23, 1983, negotiations were initiated with the Corps
of Engineers for the construction of the project. However, it was
learned that under Presidents Reagan’s new cost-sharing formula, the
local share of the project increased from $21,745,000 to
$41,835,000 of the estimated $81,430,000 project. This
increased the local cost participation from 26.7 percent to 51.4
percent. This drove the price beyond the means of local
sponsors. In May 1984, the Little Dell Task Force recommended hiring
an engineering firm to study building a downsized non-federal
project.
On December 11, 1984 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County and the
MWDSLC entered into an interlocal agreement to construct Little
Dell. Under the interlocal agreement, Salt Lake City agreed to
donate city-owned land to the project.
A private engineering firm was hired and recommended a smaller
21,000 acre-foot reservoir costing $27,045,246 to be paid totally by
the local sponsors. The diversions from Emigration and Mill Creek
were deleted.
On August 15, 1985 the U.S. Congress passed a 1985 Supplemental
Appropriations Act, P.L. 99-88 funding the Little Dell Project. The
following November 12, the Corps of Engineers proposed a scaled down
project, closer to the price the local sponsors wanted to pay. The
non-federal project was estimated at $27,045,246 that would be paid
in total by the local sponsors. The comparable downsized Corps of
Engineers’ project was estimated at $45,500,000, with the local
sponsors paying $20,370,000.
The local sponsors evaluated the
two options, and on January 16, 1986 the MWDSLC Board selected the
Corps of Engineers’ proposal. The Salt Lake County Commission
followed on January 22, 1986 by also choosing the Corps of
Engineers’ plan.
Little Dell Agreement Inked
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Left: County Commissioner Bart
Barker, Center: MWDSLC Vice Chair Charles W. Wilson, Right:
Army Assistant Secretary Robert K. Dawson sign LCA to build
Little Dell June 10,
1986. | The MWDSLC took the
lead role in sponsoring the project and for the repayment of the
water supply allocated costs. Salt Lake County sponsored the
flood control component of the project and repayment of the
allocated flood control costs.
On June 10, 1986, in a signing ceremony held in the City and
County Building, the local sponsors and the U.S. Corp of Engineers
entered into the LCA to construct the Little Dell Project.
Assistant Secretary of the Army Civil Works, Robert K. Dawson,
signed the LCA on behalf of the corps. He said, "Little Dell project
is one of the first in the nation to be built under a new cost
sharing program advocated by the Reagan administration.” He
added, “Little Dell is a model – a prototype for future water
resource developments…It shows that water development can continue
in face of severe budgetary constrains.”\2 Under the new program, local sponsors
were responsible for a larger portion of the construction
costs. The total estimated project cost contained in the LCA,
including costs during construction to cover inflation, amounted to
$49,300,000, with the total local share pegged at
$20,370,000.
Charles W. Wilson, Vice Chairman of the MWDSLC Board and
Commissioner Bart Barker, Chair of the Salt Lake County Commission,
signed the LCA on behalf of the local sponsors.
The State Division of Water Resources participated in financing
the project by buying down the interest rate on the bonds issued to
the MWDSLC.
Construction
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Little Dell construction during the
fall of 1992. The earth dam is nearly
completed. | The first phase
of construction began in the fall of 1986 with the relocation of SR
63. Construction of the dam and diversion works started in
1989. The construction was completed on March 18, 1993 when
the Corps of Engineers transferred the operation, maintenance and
rehabilitation of the Little Dell Lake Project over to the sponsors.
Construction costs increased from
the 1986 LCA of $49.3 million to $56.8 million by mid August 1991.
The cost continued to escalate, with final cost of the project
ending up at approximately $65 million.
On December 26, 1993, the gates were closed and water was
impounded behind the dam. The reservoir filled on May 24, 1995.
On August 5, 1993, nearly 45 years after Dr. Ray Marsell first
approached the Salt Lake City Commission regarding Little Dell, the
official dedication ceremony was held at the dam site. Senator Jake
Garn, after 25 years of involvement in Little Dell, first as Mayor
of Salt Lake City and then as an U. S. Senator, hailed the
completion of the project. “After 25 years, I feel [about
Little Dell] like you do about your children, when they grow
up. Someone asked me if I was going to the ceremonies and I
said, ’If I have to crawl on my hand and knees, I’ll be there to see
it finished’ “\3
Nick P. Sefakis, MWDSLC General Manager welcomed 300 the
assembled guests for the dedication and noted that the ’93 spring
run off had been above normal, so the benefit of the project had
already been realized “If the dam hadn’t been completed, Salt Lake
City work crews would have been battling floodwaters downtown on
1300 South this year.”\4
Recreation Added Back into the Project
On April 7, 1995, recreation was added back into the
project. It was found that during the negotiations for the
LCA, cost sharing of recreation was an option available to the local
sponsors, but was not communicated to them. Upon finding the
error, the Corps of Engineers and Congress agreed to amend the 1986
LCA and to fund and build a recreation facility at Little Dell.
Moreover, by reallocating the cost of the project with recreation
included, the total cost to the local sponsors was reduced.
On May 1, 1995 the Corps of Engineers and the local sponsors
conducted a public workshop at the County Complex to consider 3
options. Earlier, the Salt Lake City Public Utilities Advisory
Committee has developed a plan, which was one of the options
presented by the Corps. Ultimately, the City’s plan was selected but
slightly enlarged. By late July 1995, the design of the
recreation facility had nearly been completed. The approved plan
included 130 parking stalls, 8 restrooms, 19,400 feet of trails, 56
picnic sites and an annual visitation of 135,300 people.
Construction began during July 1997 with the installation of
utilities. The boat ramps were constructed during September 1997.
The recreation site was constructed from May 1998 to October 1998.
Construction costs totaled $1.1 million. Non-motorized
boats are allowed on the reservoir and fishing is allowed with catch
and release. The recreation facility was opened to the public
on May 19, 1999.
Conclusion
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Little Dell Lake was filled on May
24, 1995. | The Little Dell
Project will provide flood control, water supply and recreation
benefits to residents of Salt Lake County. The 1300 South
flood plain has been flooded twice in a 30-year period, and
historically has been a bottleneck in conveying stormwater and
spring runoff from the Wasatch Mountains east of Salt Lake City to
the Jordan River. Little Dell assures the ability to manage
the floodwaters from the canyons streams. The project develops
an average annual yield of 7,940 acre-feet of water supply for Salt
Lake City’s water service area (enough water for 7,940 families). It
also provides recreation facilities for a growing urban population
along the Wasatch Front.
The dam and lake site is within one
of the most beautiful areas imaginable. Nestled in Dell Canyon, the
shimmering lucid water delights the eye as you drive over Little
Mountain from Emigration Canyon. The view makes it hard to
believe that we’re on the edge of the Great Basin Desert.
Questions regarding this article can be directed to:mailto:leroy.hooton@ci.slc.ut.us
Select References
USGS 1983, United States Geological Survey Yearbook, Fiscal Year
1983, United States Printing Office: 1984
\1Desert
News, June 15, 1986, “Little Dell: Moving from a dream to reality
takes 30 years,” Steve Fidel
\2Salt Lake Tribune,
June 11, 1986, “Little Dell Dam Clears Final Hurdle, “ Jim
Woolf
\3Salt Lake Tribune,
August 5, 1993, “Garn’s Hard Work Finally Pays Off: Little Dell Dam
To Be Dedicated,” Mike Gorrell
\4Desert News, August
4, 1993, “Dedication: Big Concerns at Little Dell on Hold For
A Day,” Matthew S. Brown
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