An Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to construct, operate, and maintain the Dixie project, Utah, and for other purposes
PL 88-565 (S.26), enacted 09/02/1964

848 
PUBLIC LAW 88-565-SEPT. 2, 1964 
[78 STAT. 
Public Law 88-565 
September 2, 1964 
^^ 
ACT 
[^li^] 
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to construct, operate, and maintain 
the Dixie project, Utah, and for other purposes. 
Dixie Project, 
Utah. 
43 u s e 371 note. 
Construction. 
Commencement. 
Interest rate. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That, for the pur-
poses of developing the water resources of the Virgin and Santa Clara 
Rivers, including the furnishing of municipal and industrial water 
supplies, the furnishing of an irrigation water supply to approxi-
mately twenty-one thousand acres of land, the control of floods, the 
generation and sale of electric energy, the conservation and develop-
ment of fish and wildlife resources, and the enhancement of recreation 
opportunities, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to construct, 
operate, and maintain the Dixie project, Utah. 
The project shall 
consist of the Virgin City Dam and Reservoir, tunnels, canals, siphons, 
pumping plants, and other works necessary to serve irrigated and 
irrigable lands along and adjacent to the Virgin River; a dam on the 
Santa Clara River near Gunlock, Utah, and other works necessary to 
serve irrigated and irrigable lands along and adjacent to the Santa 
Clara River and on Ivins Bench; and hydroelectric plants and trans-
mission facilities at the Virgin City Dam and at such other points as 
are desirable. The Dixie project shall be coordinated with the Cedar 
City water development program which includes the diversion of the 
waters of Crystal Creek into the Kolob Reservoir, and after completion 
of the Dixie project said waters of Crystal Creek and of the natural 
watershed of said Kolob Reservoir shall be exported for use of Cedar 
City and vicinity in accordance with an agreement entered by Cedar 
City and Iron County, Utah, on the 26th day of August 1953, with 
Kolob Reservoir and Storage Association, Incorporated, and Washing-
ton County, Utah. 
SEC. 2. The project shall include such measures for the disposition 
of saline waters of La Verkin Springs as are necessary in the opinion 
of the Secretary to insure the delivery of water at downstream points 
along the Virgm River for water users in the States of Arizona and 
Nevada of suitable quality for irrigation, or provision shall be made 
to indemnify such water users for any impairment of water quality 
for 
irrigation 
purposes directly attributable to Dixie 
project 
operations. 
SEC. 3. In constructing, operating, and maintaining the works 
authorized by this Act, the Secretary shall be governed by the 
Federal reclamation laws (Act of June 17, 1902 (32 Stat. 388), and 
Acts amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto), except as is 
otherw^ise provided in this Act. 
SEC. 4. Construction of the project shall not be commenced until 
there shall be established a conservancy district or similar organiza-
tion with such powers as may be required by the Secretary, these to 
include powers to tax both real and personal property within the 
boundary of the district and to enter into contracts with the United 
States for the repayment of reimbursable costs. 
SEC. 5. The interest rate to be used for purposes of computing 
interest during construction and interest on the unpaid balance of 
those portions of the reimbursable costs which are properly allocable 
to commercial power development and municipal and industrial 
water supply shall be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, 
as of the beginning of the fiscal year in which this bill is enacted, on 
the basis of the computed average interest rate payable by the Treas-
ury upon its outstanding marketable public obligations, which are 
neither due nor callable for redemption for fifteen years from date of 
78 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 88-566-SEPT. 2, 1964 
849 
issue. If the interest rate so computed is not a multiple of one-
eighth of 1 per centum, the rate of interest to be used for these 
purposes shall be the multiple of one-eighth of 1 per centum next 
lower than the rate so computed. 
The portions of the costs which are 
allocable to commercial power development and to municipal and 
industrial water supply shall be repaid over a period of fifty years 
Avith interest at the rate determined in accordance with this section. 
The portion of the cost which is allocable to irrigation shall be repaid, 
pursuant to reclamation law, within fifty years plus any authorized 
development period. 
SEC. 6. The Secretary is authorized in connection with the project to 
construct, operate, and maintain or otherwise provide for the basic 
public outdoor recreation facilities, to acquire or otherwise to include 
within the project area such adjacent lands or interests therein as are 
necessary for public recreation use, to allocate water and reservoir 
capacity to recreation, and to provide for the public use and enjoyment 
of project lands, facilities, and water areas in a manner coordinated 
with other project purposes. 
The Secretary is authorized to enter into 
agreements with Federal agencies or State or local public bodies for 
the operation, maintenance, and additional development of project 
lands or facilities, or to dispose of project lands or facilities to Federal 
agencies, or State or local public bodies by lease, transfer, conveyance, 
or exchange, upon such terms and conditions as will best promote the 
development and operation of such lands or facilities in the public 
interest for recreation purposes. 
The costs of the aforesaid under-
takings, and the costs of the project allocated to fish and wildlife 
enhancement, including costs of investigation, planning. Federal oper-
ation and maintenance, and an appropriate share of joint costs of the 
project, shall be nonreimbursable. 
Nothing herein shall limit the 
nuthority of the Secretary granted bv existing provis'ons of law relat-
ing to recreation development of water resource projects, or disposi-
tion of public lands for recreational purposes. 
SEC. 7. The use of all water diverted for this project from the Colo-
rado River system shall be subiect to mid controlled bv the Colorado 
River compact, the Boulder Canyon Project Act (45 Stat. 1057; 43 
TT.S.C. fi17t), and the Mexican Water Treaty (Treaty Series 994) (59 
Stat. 1219). 
SEC. 8. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated for the coa-
st 
ruction of the D'xie project, the sum of $42,700,000, plus or minus 
such amounts, if any, as may be justified bv reason of ordinary fluctua-
tions in construction costs as indicated by engineering cost indexes 
applicable to types of construction involved therein, and, in addition 
thereto, such sums as may be required to operate and maintain said 
project. 
Approved September 2, 1964. 
Public recrea-
tion. 
Appropriation. 
Public Law 88-566 
JOINT RESOLUTION 
5,^,^^,^^ 2. 1964 
To authorize the President to proclaim October 9 in each year as Leif Erikson 
[H. J. Res. 393] 
Day. 
Resolved hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled. That the President of the 
^^'^ Erikson 
United States is authorized to officially proclaim October 9 in each 
year as Leif Erikson Day. 
Approved September 2, 1964. 
Day. 
Proclamation.