Draft Work Plan Completion and Virtual Open House
The draft Work Plan for the Great Salt Lake Basin Integrated Plan is now complete!
This Work Plan provides the roadmap for actions toward a successful completion of the Great Salt Lake Basin Integrated Plan by November 2026.
To view all elements of the draft Work Plan please see the “Phase One” tab below.
Public review of the draft is open until January 8, 2024.
Learn more about the GSLBIP and its Work Plan
at our virtual open house!
- Date: Thursday, December 7, 2023
- Time: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
- YouTube Live Stream: https://youtube.com/live/1bj1ZXpZpNI
You can also subscribe for GSLBIP updates by sending an email with the subject line “Subscribe” to GSLBasinPlanning@utah.gov.
Background
During the 2022 Utah legislative session, HB 429 was passed. This bill directed the Division of Water Resources to develop and implement the Great Salt Lake Watershed Integrated Water Assessment.
In addition to this, the division was also awarded a WaterSMART grant in December 2022 to develop a Great Salt Lake Basin Study. With similar objectives aimed at better understanding the complex water supply and demand in the Great Salt Lake Basin, these two projects have merged to become the Great Salt Lake Basin Integrated Plan.
To help facilitate and carry out these objectives, Jacobs, The Langdon Group, Clyde Snow and Hansen, Allen & Luce have been hired to assist with the development of the work plan for this project.
These combined projects will help to ensure a resilient water supply for Great Salt Lake and its watershed by:
- Assessing current surface and groundwater supply in the Great Salt Lake Basin
- Forecasting future water demands
- Investigating potential benefits of forest management and watershed restoration
- Coordinating efforts to quantify and incorporate demand into the water supply and demand model
- Identifying and evaluating best management practices to provide a reliable water supply
- Analyzing the trade-offs in relation to impacts on water users throughout the basin and avoiding deterioration of agriculture, industry and ecosystems
- Recommending actionable strategies for the holistic management of water resources
The development of a collective assessment and planning tool encompassing the entire Great Salt Lake Basin is a massive undertaking that has never been completed before. Thus, the project will be completed in two phases. Phase one developed a Work Plan to lay out the approach for completing the Great Salt Lake Basin Integrated Plan. This Work Plan was completed in November 2023. Phase two will then initiate the longer process of creating the actionable integrated plan, which will conclude in late 2026.
Purpose
The objective of the Great Salt Lake Basin Integrated Plan is to ensure a resilient water supply in the Great Salt Lake Basin. Within a three-year timeframe, the Division of Water Resources will combine and enhance existing water resource management tools from across the basin to complete a state-of-the-art water supply and demand study. The integrated plan will collaboratively explore options to address water supply imbalances, increase supply reliability and avoid degradation of the vital Great Salt Lake ecosystem. In addition, it will include a strategy trade-off analysis within each river basin to assess the costs and benefits of meeting different water resource related goals.
Phase One: The Work Plan
Completed in fall 2023, the Work Plan for the Great Salt Lake Basin Integrated Plan synthesizes information, literature and data across the watershed related to water quantity and quality, water use, water demand, surface and groundwater diversions, depletions and return flows.
Work Plan & Appendices
| Individual Sections | Appendices |
In addition to creating a situational assessment of current conditions, the Work Plan will also provide guidance on the communication and collaboration that will be required to successfully involve stakeholders in the watershed.
Phase Two: The Integrated Plan
The recently-completed Work Plan provides a road map for the completion of the Great Salt Lake Basin Integrated Plan. The Work Plan lays out an integrated collaborative approach to making decisions through hydrodynamic modeling, scenario planning, and strategic research. Importantly, the Great Salt Lake Basin Integrated Plan must integrate ongoing efforts and systems, develop meaningful solutions and recommend actions that shape a lasting water legacy for future generations.
GSLBIP Goal:
Ensure a resilient water supply for Great Salt Lake and all water uses, including people and the environment, throughout the watershed.
GSLBIP Objectives:
- Forge connections
- Develop a shared understanding
- Quantify water resources
- Evaluate options
- Recommend actions
Partners
Steering Committee | |
Brian Steed, Great Salt Lake Commissioner | Trevor Nielson, Bear River Canal Company |
Connely Baldwin, Rocky Mountain Power | Jon Parry, Weber Basin Conservancy District |
Laura Briefer, Salt Lake City Public Utilities | Jack Ray, Utah Waterfowl Association |
Derek Bruton, Central Utah Water Conservancy District | Scott Sandall, Utah Legislature |
Nathan Daugs, Cache Water District | Marcelle Shoop, National Audubon Society |
Lynn de Freitas, FRIENDS of Great Salt Lake | Søren Simonsen, Jordan River Commission |
Dave Decker, Provo City | Casey Snider, Utah Legislature |
Wade Garrett, Utah Farm Bureau | Brent Tanner, Utah Cattlemen's Association |
Joe Havasi, Compass Minerals | David Tarboton, Utah State University |
Tim Hawkes, Great Salt Lake Artemia | Jeff Young, Ensign Ranch |
Dustin Jansen, Utah Division of Indian Affairs | Jacob Young, Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District |
Jess Kirby, Summit County |
Water Suppliers | |
Bear River Canal Company | Ogden River Water Users' Association |
Bear River Water Conservancy District | Provo River Water Users Association |
Central Utah Water Conservancy District | Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities |
Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District | Weber Basin Water Conservancy District |
Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake & Sandy |
Environmental Non-Profits | |
National Audubon Society | The Nature Conservancy |
FRIENDS of Great Salt Lake |
Academic and Advising | |
Great Salt Lake Advisory Council | Utah State University |
University of Utah |
State Agencies | |
Idaho Department of Water Resources | Utah Division of Water Quality |
Utah Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands | Utah Geological Survey |
Utah Division of Water Resources | Wyoming Office of State Engineer |
Utah Division of Water Rights |
Federal Agencies | |
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation | U.S. Geological Survey |
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
Would you like to learn more about the Basin Integrated Plan?
GSLBasinPlanning@utah.gov