Leavitt Reservoir won’t hit ‘substantial completion’ target

While significant progress has been made, the contractors who are building the Leavitt Reservoir will not hit their Dec. 31, 2025, target date for substantial completion and have been given a six-month extension.

Kevin Mininger of RJH Consultants Inc., who is coordinating the project for the Shell Valley Watershed Improvement District (SVWID), announced the extension last week, but emphasized that the total of the construction and engineering contracts are “about the same” as when the contracts were first issued.

Mininger cited the following reasons for the delay: 1) “The construction contract for the irrigation water distribution system was delayed nine months because sufficient funding was not available when the other construction contracts were awarded.”  2) “Preparation of the embankment foundation required over 100,000 cubic yards more excavation than expected.”  3) “Processing embankment fill from the onsite mudstone has been more difficult than expected because of hard nodules in some areas that damage equipment and prevent processing.”

Though several days were lost to rain and wet site conditions in October, contractors have benefited from the mild weather conditions in recent weeks.

With winter approaching, Mininger said water supply system to the reservoir is generally complete and that dam construction is continuing, with earthwork expected to stop for the season in late November or early December due to freezing temperatures.

“The contractor has placed approximately 1 million cubic yards of embankment fill this year.  The current elevation of the dam varies, but needs to be raised between about 5 and 35 feet to reach the final crest elevation.  

“The 90-foot-tall concrete gate tower was completed this year and the majority of the rest of the outlet works system is expected to be complete by the end of December.  

“The wetland mitigation area is expected to be completed in November so it can be planted in December.   

“Construction of the irrigation water distribution system is ongoing.  The pipeline is expected to be complete around Thanksgiving and the construction of the diversion structure, and the discharge structures will be completed over the winter.”

What’s left?

Mininger said earthwork will resume in the spring with approximately 350,000 cubic yards of embankment fill to be placed next year. 

“Dam construction is expected to be substantially complete by June 30, 2026, with reseeding and fencing completed later in the summer,” Mininger said. 

“The recreation facilities including the boat ramp and parking area will be completed in 2026.   

“The irrigation water distribution system is expected to be substantially complete by June 30, 2026 with access road construction, reseeding, and fencing completed later in the summer.”  

Filling

Mininger said his office is working are working with the contractor and the Safety of Dams program at the State Engineers Office to begin filling the reservoir before construction is complete.  

“The goal is to store about 640 acre-feet this spring,” he said. “However, before we can begin filling, the contractor needs to complete all work necessary to be able to fill and release water, the engineering team will need to work with the county to develop an emergency action plan for the dam, and the Dam Safety Program will need to accept our plan to monitor the dam and other structures during the partial filling of the reservoir.  

“Normal filling of the reservoir will resume in spring 2027, and depending on the availability of water, the reservoir may not be completely filled until late spring 2028.”

Expected

Kent Johnson, a spokesman for the SVWID, said Mininger “has done a good job of educating us” along the way, conducting meetings every two weeks to keep the board informed.  “When you’re educated and stay on it, you realize really quickly that yeah, some frustrating things happen, but you also understand the reasons behind them.”

“Thank God it’s only six months, although we’re optimistic it will be shorter,” he said, adding, “My experience with the contractors has been 100 percent positive; they’ve worked their tails off up there.”

Like Mininger, Johnson said he doesn’t anticipate the six-month extension impacting the budget, which still stands at $78 million.  Of that total, 98% is being funded by the state and the remaining 2% by benefitting landowners below the dam.

The original Leavitt Reservoir impounded about 640 acre-feet of water. When complete, the new one impound 6,600 acre-feet and primarily be used to supply irrigated lands in the Beaver Creek and Shell Creek drainages with supplemental irrigation supply to reduce drought vulnerability.

The reservoir will also include a minimum pool for fisheries and recreation.

“We continue to have absolutely great community support,” Johnson said this week. “Shareholders who might be impacted by the short delay are more than understanding.  These are ranchers who irrigate.  They knew this thing would take a while. In my opinion, they smartly invested in the future of the Shell Valley.”