SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Federal regulators are giving the go-ahead for environmental studies and public comment about a proposed 140-mile (225-kilometer) pipeline to draw water from the Colorado River to serve southwestern Utah communities.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Tuesday formally accepted a state application submitted last year for the Lake Powell Pipeline.
Utah Division of Water Resources chief Eric Millis told the Salt Lake Tribune the notice posted in the Federal Register represents a major milestone in a long process toward meeting future water needs in Washington and Kane counties.
Officials say it will cost more than $1 billion to build the pipeline from Glen Canyon Dam through parts of northwest Arizona to Sand Hollow Reservoir east of St. George, Utah.
Critics call the proposal too expensive for the communities it would serve.
