Pine Valley Water Supply Project

Cedar Valley Water Conservancy

What Is the Pine Valley Water Supply Project?

The Pine Valley Water Supply Project is a long‑planned water infrastructure initiative that will deliver up to 15,000 acre‑feet per year of legally acquired groundwater from Pine Valley (Basin 14) to Cedar Valley through a new wellfield, pipelines, monitoring wells, and support facilities.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approved the project through its Record of Decision (ROD) on March 2, 2026.

Why the Project Is Needed TODAY—Not Just for Future Growth

Cedar Valley’s municipal water supply will be reduced by up to 70% without new sources.

Under the State Engineer’s Groundwater Management Plan, Cedar Valley’s groundwater pumping must be reduced to the basin’s safe yield by 2080. That means municipal providers—including Cedar City and Enoch City—will lose access to approximately 70% of their existing groundwater as reductions are phased in.

This project is not a “growth project.”
It is a water‑security project for current residents whose existing water supply is being curtailed.

This Project Began in 2006—Long Before Data Centers or AI Facilities Existed

  • CVWC initiated its Pine Valley groundwater application in 2006—20 years before today’s discussions about AI, data centers, or hyperscale facilities in Cedar City.
  • The water right was adjudicated and finalized through a 2019 settlement agreement, creating the legal framework for this project years before such facilities were ever contemplated.

This project was never created for, driven by, or designed to serve data centers.
Its purpose is to replace existing water loss and protect current residents, municipalities, institutions, and agriculture.

Our Statutory Mandate: Plan 50 Years Into the Future

Under Utah’s Water Conservancy District Act, water conservancies must plan for the next 50 years of water needs. That means:

  • Studying long‑term supply and demand
  • Preparing for multi‑decade population growth
  • Investing in infrastructure early enough to avoid shortages
  • Securing future sources before they become unavailable

The Water Conservancy cannot legally or responsibly wait for a crisis—we are mandated to plan ahead for both existing residents and future needs.

Why plan for growth?

Growth happens when:

  • A farmer chooses to sell their land instead of continuing to farm
  • A private landowner chooses to develop
  • A family chooses to build a home

These are private property rights.
Cities cannot tell a farmer they may not retire, sell, or develop their land. And developers must bring their own private water rights to the city before receiving approval for new subdivisions.

The Water Conservancy’s role is not to control land use decisions, but to:

  • Protect the regional, shared public water supply
  • Ensure municipal systems have enough water
  • Plan for long‑term regional needs using current growth trends and official projections (Kem C. Gardner Institute)

Settlement Agreement: How Pine Valley Water Is Shared

The 2019 settlement agreement governing Pine Valley water rights established:

  • CVWC’s rights to develop up to 15,000 acre‑feet per year (WR 14‑118)
  • Beaver County received water in both basins: 725 AF (Wah Wah) and 1,650 AF (Pine).
  • SITLA’s (School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration) has a contractual right (not a water right) to up to 6,500 AF/year of CVWC’s Wah Wah supply for mining/industrial use at Blawn Mountain.

This agreement is why multiple entities, not just Cedar Valley, hold rights in Pine Valley. It was carefully negotiated to ensure fairness, hydrologic sustainability, and regional cooperation.

Environmental Protection & Monitoring

The BLM‑approved design includes some of the strongest environmental protections of any water project in Utah.

The project must:

  • Implement extensive wildlife, habitat, vegetation, and cultural protection measures (Utah prairie dog, migratory birds, sage‑grouse, Old Spanish Trail reroutes)
  • Monitor springs across Pine Valley, Wah Wah Valley, and surrounding basins to ensure impacts do not exceed modeled predictions
  • Use adaptive management to adjust pumping if impacts exceed expectations
  • Restore disturbed areas with native vegetation

These protections are legally binding conditions of the federal right‑of‑way.

Protection of Senior Water Rights

The project includes a mandatory Interference Drawdown Monitoring and Mitigation Program, requiring CVWC to:

  • Continuously monitor groundwater levels
  • Notify any senior water right holder predicted to experience >15 feet of drawdown
  • Compensate, repair, or replace wells if impacts are proven
  • Provide replacement water if necessary

This ensures no senior water rights are harmed by project pumping.

How the Reuse Project Multiplies Our Imported Water

The Water Conservancy is developing Cedar City’s Reuse Water Project, which captures and treats wastewater to reuse it for:

  • Irrigation
  • Industrial purposes
  • Groundwater recharge
  • Future potential municipal reuse

Why reuse matters:

Every acre‑foot imported from Pine Valley can be used again, sometimes more than once, extending the life of the supply.

Reuse + Pine Valley water = A multiplied, recycled, sustainable supply for current and future residents.

Key Facts at a Glance

  • Project began: 2006
  • Federal approval issued: March 2, 2026 (BLM ROD)
  • Annual water delivered: up to 15,000 AFY
  • Purpose: Replace lost municipal water; stabilize aquifer; ensure future reliability
  • Not for data centers: Project predates AI/data centers by 20 years
  • Mandatory protections: Senior rights, wildlife, springs, habitat, cultural resources
  • Reuse benefit: Imported water can be reused—significantly extending supply
  • Statutory requirement: Water Conservancy must plan 50 years ahead