Union Bench (North Union and Provo Bench) canal corridor study
With the North Union and Provo Bench canal companies no longer running water, Orem hired a consultant in July 2026 for a 10-month, grant-funded study of ownership, easements, stormwater, liability and possible uses, including a trail, along about five miles of canal and 330 adjoining parcels. No outcome has been decided; a scoping open house is planned for late October.
- Where it stands
- In review
- Type
- Public project
- Location
- Canal corridor through Orem
Every hearing and vote
June 15, 2026 · City Council work session
North Union Irrigation Co. dissolution and possible canal trail
Discussed
Garrido and Price, who serve as officers of the irrigation companies, said North Union Canal Company voted in November 2025 to stop delivering water and is preparing to dissolve. Because the company holds only a prescriptive easement, dissolution triggers an abandonment, and after a 90-day window the land could revert to adjacent property owners. Orem has a Mountainland Association of Governments grant for a feasibility study (two planning bids were received from Avenue Consultants and Landmark Design) covering public outreach along more than five miles of corridor with over 14,000 nearby residents, and a utility analysis including aquifer recharge with the Central Utah Water Conservancy District. Community Development Director Gary McGinn warned that stormwater still drains into the ditch, so blocked or filled segments could cause flooding. The mayors and managers directed their attorneys and engineers to share research on whether a joint stormwater entity could take over the easements before the window closes.
July 14, 2026 · City Council
Canal corridor planning update
Discussed
Community Development Director Gary McGinn said Orem won a Mountainland Association of Governments grant and awarded the planning contract to Method Studio, whose staff previously led the Murdock Canal Trail project. Scoping begins the next day, outreach is the first priority and a draft report is due to the council by year-end. McGinn said residents farther from the canal tend to support it while owners of abutting lots are anxious. Council Members Crystal Muhlestein and LaNae Millett asked about Murdock lessons; staff noted Orem's canals have rights-of-way of only 6 to 20 feet, against 100 feet at Murdock. Council Member Jeff Lambson asked for data on safety effects of converting the canal into a trail.
August 25, 2026 · City Council work session
Union Bench canal utility and trail study
Discussed
Marty Asay of Methods Consulting, hired in mid-July 2026, presented a 10-month study prompted by the North Union and Provo Bench canal companies ceasing water delivery. Mayor Karen McCandless and Council Members Jeff Lambson, Quinn Mecham and Jenn Gale stressed there are no predetermined outcomes and that a trail is the lowest priority behind land ownership, easements, liability, hazards, maintenance and infrastructure along the roughly five-mile corridor. The team will map easements across about 330 adjacent parcels, study stormwater discharge rights and estimate costs for options, and will tailor solutions section by section. Outreach includes mailings to all 330 adjacent owners, email updates, walkabouts, design workshops, a scoping open house in late October and an online map for comments. The study is funded in part by a grant secured by the city.