A $750 million water infrastructure project in Utah has advanced with Jacobs selected to provide engineering services for the Strawberry High Line Improvement Project.
The Central Utah Water Conservancy District selected Jacobs to provide design and construction-phase support in a joint venture with Bowen Collins & Associates. The assignment marks a significant step toward replacing the historic Strawberry High Line Canal with a modern, pressurized water system.
The project will serve agricultural users and growing communities across southern Utah County and eastern Juab County while supporting water deliveries for a future population of approximately 420,000 people.
Century-Old Canal Set for Transformation
The Strawberry High Line Canal was completed in 1917 as part of the Strawberry Valley Project. The federally owned canal stretches approximately 17 miles and carries water from the Strawberry Reservoir and Spanish Fork River system for agricultural and municipal uses.
The planned modernization will replace the open-water canal with a buried pipeline system, including an approximately 18-mile, 72-inch-diameter enclosed steel pipeline, a pump station and related infrastructure.
Enclosing and pressurizing the canal is expected to improve water delivery efficiency, reduce losses from seepage and evaporation, and improve operational reliability. The project would also address safety concerns associated with aging canal infrastructure as development continues along the corridor.
$100 Million Federal Investment Supports Project
The engineering appointment follows a major funding milestone announced in March 2026.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation committed $100 million toward enclosing the Strawberry High Line Canal as part of the broader Nebo Regional Water Project. The federal investment is non-reimbursable and is intended to restore and increase the capacity and use of the federally owned conveyance facility.
The Nebo Regional Water Project is a broader, multi-component water infrastructure program developed by the Central Utah Water Conservancy District with regional water agencies, municipalities and other partners.
The canal enclosure represents a central component of that program. Which is intended to improve water reliability and support continued population and economic growth in the region.
Environmental Review Moves Forward
The project has also advanced through federal environmental review.
The project team completed a Draft Environmental Assessment for the Nebo Regional Water Project in June 2026. Public open houses followed in Payson and Nephi, giving residents an opportunity to review the preferred alternatives and provide comments.
The environmental review covers more than the canal replacement. The broader proposal includes additional water infrastructure, a new regional water treatment facility and other pipeline improvements designed to create a more integrated regional water system.
With the public comment period completed, the project is moving toward its next environmental decision while Jacobs begins its engineering role.
Canal Corridor Could Become Regional Trail
The modernization could also create a new community asset.
After workers enclose the open canal, the project team plans to repurpose the corridor for an integrated regional trail. The trail would provide recreational opportunities while improving connections between communities along the route.
The project therefore extends beyond water delivery. It combines aging infrastructure upgrades with water conservation, regional growth planning and improved community connectivity.
Construction has not yet fully begun. However, Jacobs’ selection adds momentum to a program that has already secured substantial federal funding and advanced through environmental review.
The Strawberry High Line project is part of a broader trend toward major regional water infrastructure upgrades in the United States. A similar effort is underway in South Dakota, where the $105 million Connecting Neighbors Waterline Project is using a 72-mile pipeline and treatment plant improvements to expand water capacity and strengthen reliability for growing communities.
Fact sheet: The Strawberry High Line project
Location: Southern Utah County and eastern Juab County, Utah
- Estimated construction value: $750 million
- Broader program: Nebo Regional Water Project
- Existing infrastructure: Strawberry High Line Canal
- Canal completed: 1917
- Planned pipeline: Approximately 18 miles
- Pipeline diameter: 72 inches
- Pipeline type: Enclosed steel pipeline
- Major infrastructure: Pipeline, pump station and related facilities
- Future population supported: Approximately 420,000 people
- Primary users: Agricultural and municipal water users
- Federal investment: $100 million
- Federal funding: Non-reimbursable
- Engineering team: Jacobs and Bowen Collins & Associates
- Project owner: Central Utah Water Conservancy District
- Environmental review: Draft Environmental Assessment completed June 2026
- Additional component: Integrated regional trail
- Current status: Engineering and environmental review
- Construction status: Full construction has not yet begun
- Primary objectives: Improve water reliability, reduce conveyance losses, modernize aging infrastructure and support regional growth
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