SMALL WATERSHED REHABILITATION PROGRAM

MILLSITE DAM - UTAH

LEAD AGENCY:
Natural Resources
Conservation Service
(NRCS)

LOCATION:
3 miles above Ferron
City, Emery County,
Utah

FUNDING:
Small Watershed
Rehabilitation
Program-PL-83-566,
as amended by PL
106-472

REASON FOR REHAB:

The intent of the
proposed rehab
measures is to meet
the current NRCS and
Utah Dam Safety
engineering and
performance criteria
and to extend the life
of the dam 66 years.

COOPERATING AGENCY
Bureau of Land
Management (BLM);
US Forest Service
(USFS)

CONTACTS:
NRCS
Bronson Smart,
State Engineer
Sponsor
Tracy Behling, Chair
Ferron Canal &
Reservoir Company

Introduction

Millsite Dam Emery County, Utah

Utah Congressional District: 3

Dam is within the Ferron Watershed. Plan authorized in 1965.
Dam built in 1971.

Sponsoring Local Organization

Ferron Canal & Reservoir Company
- Total Sponsor Cost: $ 9,800,000*
- Total Federal Cost: $ 18,200,000
- Total Project Cost: $ 28,000,000
* $8,820,000 from the State of Utah.

Rehabilitation Project Benefits

Number of lives protected:
Number of businesses protected:
Number of Highways:

285
10
1

Number of homes protected:

Number of Schools:
Number of Infrastructures:

95
1
4

Benefit of the Dam to the Community: Direct benefits of this rehabilitation

project are realized by Carbon and Emery Counties and the city of Ferron, Utah
predominantly through the use of stored irrigation and culinary water, and as a
source of recreation for fishing, camping and golfing. The Hunter power plant
receives part of its water needs through a pipeline from the reservoir. The dam
also provides flood damage reduction and sediment retention benefits. The
average annual benefits for rehabilitation total to about $1,673,000.

Summary - Dam Rehabilitation Measures

Demolish the existing concrete box inlet auxiliary spillway and replace with a concrete labyrinth weir
structure with capacity to safely pass flows up to 31,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) and raise the inlet
elevation by four feet.
Placement of an additional 4 feet of compacted earthen material to the top (crest) of the dam.
Install a 102 feet wide by 35 feet tall by 300 feet long stability berm at the northern downstream toe of the
dam.
Addition of 9,000 cubic yards of rock rip-rap to the upstream face of the dam.
Install instrumentation for long-term monitoring of the Zone III embankment material phreatic water line.
Install an auxiliary gate control for backup of the existing gate operation.
Extend the steel 54-inch diameter principal spillway outlet pipe 100 feet and rebuild the associated outlet
works.
Replace the 8-inch diameter steel water pipe in the outlet gallery. This pipe is currently used by Ferron City
for drinking water.
Excavate and reconstruct the downstream face of the dam with earth fill and install a new toe drain.
Placement of a small berm in the Millsite State Park campground to provide additional freeboard protection
of 7 campsites for the periods when the reservoir is at the auxiliary crest elevation.
Update of the existing Emergency Action Plan.

Natural Resources Conservation Service

125 South State St., Room 4010, Salt Lake City, UT 84138
Voice 801 524-4550 Fax 801 524 4403
An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer