With over 30 years experience in Water Resources engineering and management, including 28 years as general manager of a $250M asset water district, Keith Denos understands your challenges and is uniquely qualified to help you find the most effective solutions.
Experience
Keith has developed and overseen large water infrastructure projects and was the primary champion and facilitator for the $150M Provo Reservoir Canal Enclosure Project and the $100M Deer Creek Intake Project, and was key in securing funding for these monumental projects. Keith was general manager of Provo River Water Users Association, the sponsor of Reclamation’s Provo River Project, for 28 years. In this role he was responsible for an annual budget of between $6M and $34M and oversaw all management and operations of Deer Creek Dam and Reservoir and its average annual 100,000 acre-foot water supply conveyed through large canals, pipelines, and tunnels for irrigation and M&I uses. Keith has decades of experience working with federal and local lawmakers and has been instrumental in the passing of favorable state and federal legislation. Keith has served on many water boards, committees, and task forces and is active in water policy issues and discussions. Prior to his work with Provo River Water Users Association, Keith was a consulting engineer in the private sector.
Education and Certification
Keith earned a Bachelor’s degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering and a Master’s degree in Irrigation Engineering, both from Utah State University. Keith also holds an MBA with a finance emphasis from Utah Valley University and is a professional engineer registered in Utah.
$100M Deer Creek Intake Project
Large Water Infrastructure Projects
Provo Reservoir Canal Enclosure Project
For the $150M canal enclosure project, Keith commissioned technical studies and developed relationships with local, state, and federal partners to assure the project. Keith led a four-year negotiation effort among 17 parties, culminating in the development of over 40 agreements that established the foundation of the project. Authorization of this unique project required that a federal law and a state law be passed, as well as a state constitutional amendment. Keith worked closely with federal and state lawmakers and was instrumental in the success of these legislative efforts. Keith played a primary role in securing funding for this project through a state revolving loan program. Funding was dependent upon passage of the constitutional amendment and at the time was the largest water infrastructure loan ever authorized by the state of Utah. The 21-mile canal enclosure project affected seven cities in a populated suburban area requiring continual public relations efforts and mitigation. The project was completed a year ahead of schedule and within 0.013% of budget.
Deer Creek Intake Project
The $100M intake project arose from a need to rehabilitate the aging guard gates of Deer Creek Dam, and eventually came to include improvements to the intake tower and a permanent bypass pipeline through the left abutment of the dam. Keith was concerned when preliminary concepts for the project proposed to draw down Deer Creek Reservoir which supplies water to half the population of Utah. The approved project allows significant work to be accomplished “in the wet” as opposed to drawing down the reservoir to perform the work. Keith coordinated closely with design engineers and Reclamation officials to fine tune the design of this innovative project and assure approval to construct. Keith worked to secure the majority of the project funding through a state of Utah loan program. This project is currently under construction and is slated for completion in 2026.