Director of Utah Division of Water Resources Appointed

Director of Utah Division of Water Resources Appointed

Published 08-26-21

SALT LAKE CITY – Candice Hasenyager has been named director of the Utah Division of Water Resources. Hasenyager replaces Todd Adams who was appointed this week as deputy director for the Department of Natural Resources. Adams fills a vacancy created by Rory Reynolds who is retiring after 31 years with DNR. 

“Candice is a natural leader with a strong track record of water resource management. Her leadership will be critical in addressing Utah’s water challenges,” Department of Natural Resources Executive Director Brian Steed said. “She has helped lead the state through one of the worst droughts in history and will continue to look for innovative ways to stretch and best manage our water supply.”

“Access to water is at the core of prosperity for our state,” Hasenyager said.” I am looking forward to serving the public and building on the great work already in place. As we head into the future, we will need to work together to implement balanced solutions like reducing our water use, growing water-wise and increasing our water supplies.”

Hasenyager started her career with the division in 2007 after graduating from the University of Utah with both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in civil engineering. She has served as the division’s deputy director since January 2020. Before being promoted to deputy director, she was the assistant director since 2018. 

Throughout her career, Hasenyager has worked on various projects that support the division’s mission to “plan, conserve, develop and protect Utah’s water resources.” As deputy director, she has overseen the Planning and Development branch, Water Conservation and Education section, and served as the division’s legislative liaison. During her career, she has been involved in surface water modeling, hydrology studies and municipal water demand projections.

Adams assumes his role as department deputy director 31 years (to the day!) from when he started with the Division of Water Resources. During his time at the division, he served in many roles including director, deputy director, assistant director and legislative liaison. 

“Utah is rich in natural resources, and how we manage them today will shape our state for decades to come,” Steed said. “Todd brings a wealth of experience with him and will be an asset to our leadership team.”

Candice Hasenyager Headshot

Press Release PDF

For more information, contact Kim Wells at 801-803-0336.

image shows the Wasatch Mountains with minimal snow, mostly in higher elevations
Published March 19, 2026

SALT LAKE CITY (March 19, 2026) – Utah’s snowpack is the lowest on record and peaked three weeks early. The state’s peak was on March 9 at 8.4 inches, which is about half of what the state typically receives by the beginning of April. Weather forecasts suggest that snowmelt will outpace any new snow the …

Read Full Article
Image shows Echo Reservoir from a plan with snow on the mountains
Published March 10, 2026

The Utah Division of Water Resources has partnered with Weber Basin Water Conservancy District and the Great Salt Lake Commissioner’s Office to expand and explore the use of Airborne Snow Observatories (ASO) technology in the Great Salt Lake Basin. This ASO project,  known as “Wings over Weber”, is the second of its kind in Utah …

Read Full Article
Image shows City Creek with snow on the sides of the creek.
Published February 19, 2026

SALT LAKE CITY (Feb. 19, 2026) – Utah experienced a more active storm cycle near the end of February. While this is a welcome respite from the dry winter so far, the state would need the active pattern to persist through the beginning of April, when the state typically experiences peak snowpack, to achieve near-normal …

Read Full Article