State water officials will lay out a plan later this year to review proposals for major water projects, including a controversial proposal to build a $1 billion pipeline to pull water from Lake Powell into southwestern Utah communities.
The plan follows a move by Utah's Legislature this year to divert millions from road projects to a special water fund that could help with the Lake Powell Pipeline's costs.
Eric Millis, the director of Utah's Division of Water Resources, told a state water commission Tuesday that the division is working on developing rules the state would follow before loaning money out of the fund. That would include an independent review of construction and payment plans.
The rules must be presented to state lawmakers by the end of October.
Critics say the pipeline is costly and may be unnecessary.