The Strawberry Aqueduct and Collection System (SACS), a feature of the Central Utah Project, consists of a series of pipelines, tunnels, aqueducts and reservoirs that capture water from the Colorado River Basin and divert it for storage in the enlarged Strawberry Reservoir created by Soldier Creek Dam. Most of the water stored in Strawberry Reservoir is then diverted to the Bonneville Basin for use along the Wasatch Front. The 37-mile-long aqueduct connects Upper Stillwater Reservoir, located on Rock Creek, to Strawberry Reservoir. Along its course, SACS intercepts water from a total of ten streams.

It was anticipated that, without implementing mitigation measures, approximately 75 percent of adult trout habitat within the ten affected streams would be lost due to construction and operation of SACS. Thus, the Streamflow Agreement of 1980, and its amendment in 1990, was enacted to maintain 50 percent of adult trout habitat in the four largest affected streams: Rock Creek, West Fork of the Duchesne River, Currant Creek and Strawberry River. The 1988 Aquatic Mitigation Plan was developed to offset remaining losses by constructing instream habitat improvements, restoring natural flows to upper Strawberry River tributaries (click here to link to the Wasatch County Water Efficiency Project with Daniels Replacement Pipeline for more info), replacing the egg-taking station on Strawberry River near Strawberry Reservoir, and acquiring approximately 51 miles of public access to mitigate for lost angling opportunities along the dewatered streams.

In November 1999, a final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact was issued for completing remaining angler-access and terrestrial wildlife mitigation acquisitions and establishing long-term management guidelines for the mitigation lands. The scope of the Angler-Access Mitigation Program, Strawberry Aqueduct and Collect System, Final EA entails acquiring a remaining 8.1 river miles of angler access and providing management and protection of all acquired properties, thereby completing the mitigation commitments.[Click here to download the SACS Angler Access Environmental Assessment and Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact- 8.29MB .pdf]

Angler access acquisitions are now complete. Stream access has been acquired on the West Fork of the Duchesne, North Fork of the Duchesne, Duchesne River, Rock Creek, Currant Creek, and Strawberry River where instream flows are provided, and generally, where instream habitat improvements have been made.[Click here to view maps showing stream access areas.]

Mitigation efforts are now focused on developing public access facilities and managing acquired river corridors. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provides the opportunity to accelerate these efforts through construction of parking areas and related facilities on SACS mitigation reaches. Other Recovery Act funded activities will include removing debris from acquired properties, installing fencing, and weed control at constructed parking areas. After public access facilities are complete, maps and user guides will be prepared.