- The Utah Senate committee endorsed a study for Gooseberry Narrows State Park.
- The revised bill excludes park agreements and dam plans, focusing on a review instead.
- If passed, results of the study will be shared by the end of November.
SALT LAKE CITY — A bill calling for a new state park in central Utah that was defeated in a Senate committee is getting a second chance after a significant alteration.
Members of the Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee voted 5-1 on Monday to endorse SB209, which now calls for the study of a new reservoir and creation of Gooseberry Narrows State Park in Sanpete County. The same committee voted 2-1 against an outright designation of the park last week.
The new version of the bill, sponsored by Sen. Derrin Owens, R-Fountain Green, removes any language calling on the Utah Division of State Parks to enter into agreements with the U.S. Forest Service to operate a new state park. It also strips out segments outlining a plan to "engage in transfers, exchanges or purchases" needed to build a dam in the area.
It instead calls on the division to conduct a feasibility study on the concept of creating a state park on land near Gooseberry Creek between Lower Gooseberry Dam and Fairview Lakes east of Fairview. Entities have enough water rights to store about 14,500 acre-feet in a reservoir, according to Blake Bingham, deputy state engineer.
"It just gives State Parks authority to go study and see if this would be an opportunity to place a state park here," Owens said. "Would I like to see a dam? Absolutely. That would be great — it's been part of the plan for over 90 years. ... But here we sit today."
Utah State Parks officials point out that visitation to state parks has doubled over the past decade, with reservoir-based parks drawing large crowds, so there is interest in new parks.
If passed, the division would work on the study this year and share its results with the Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Interim Committee before the end of November. The change comes with a fiscal cost of approximately $10,000, down significantly from the estimated cost of over $60 million for a new state park, Owens added.
He presented the new version after representatives of the Price River Water Improvement District and conservation groups voiced concerns with the original bill. They argued that such a park would only be open for a portion of the year and that the dam would divert Carbon County's water supply to Sanpete County in a different basin.
Despite support from the Sanpete County Water Conservancy District, the committee agreed with the opponents and voted 2-1 to strike down the bill.
While there wasn't much change in opinions on Monday, members of the committee agreed that it was worth studying. They voted 5-1 in favor, without much debate. Their vote advances the bill to the full Senate floor.
