Porcupine Dam made Paradise a heavenly place

By Tyler Larson

October 29, 2007 | PARADISE -- The town of Paradise wasn't always the paradise some consider it now, and wasn't always lush with farm land. It took work, money, and 1 million cubic yards of earth that makes Porcupine Dam to make Paradise what it is today.

Porcupine Dam was the first of its size in Utah and built in 1961 for over half a million dollars. It is located past Avon and just up the mouth of a canyon to the Bear River Mountains. The dam was later renovated in 1998 to bring it up to current safety standards for a further $5.5 million. It allows farmers from Avon to Paradise to irrigate water for their crops and helps keep the towns functioning.

"The water runs from the base of the dam and spills into the Blacksmith Fork River," Robert Fotheringham, Cache regional engineer for the Utah Division of Water Rights, said. "The irrigation water runs as far as Hyrum," he added.

The dam is 181 feet tall and the reservoir can contain 12,800 acre-feet of water, making it possible to water 3,000 acres of land. The water used from the reservoir is used annually and regulated by a watermaster from the UDWR.

The reservoir held by the dam is also fished by the locals for trout, and has several camping spots.

"I've gone there several times in the past few years, usually [I] just catch a few trout and toss them back," said Keith Molnuer, a Logan resident.

"There's also a lot of rattlesnakes," Larry Lansen, a friend and fellow Logan resident of Molnuer's, added.

Porcupine Dam is one of many dams in Utah allowing farmers to water their land but nonetheless helps make it possible for small towns like Paradise to exist.

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