Washington, D.C.--Congressman Matheson said today that two of his water bills were advanced unanimously by the House Natural Resources Committee today. The legislation is the Bonneville Unit Clean Hydropower Facilitation Act—HR 2008—and a Uintah Water Conservancy District bill—HR 2950.

“Both my bills will help rural Utah counties and the Central Utah Project (CUP),” said Matheson. “In Uintah County, allowing the water district to repay money ahead of schedule benefits taxpayers. The Diamond Fork bill would permit generation of up to 50 megawatts of clean hydroelectric power.”

Matheson said that the Uintah Water Conservancy District has operated and maintained the Vernal and Jensen Units of the CUP since 1956. Water is utilized by both municipalities, irrigators and manufacturing in the county.  Paying back the Federal Treasury more quickly saves the District money over time.

The Bonneville Unit of the CUP is a massive system of dams, pipelines and tunnels that delivers water from the eastern mountains in Utah to the Wasatch Front.  The bill authorizes the Department of Interior to accept bids to develop the hydropower capacity within the Diamond Fork tunnel