Image shows Great Salt Lake from Antelope Island

Gov. Cox Issues Drought Executive Order

Published 04-24-25

Water conservation critical as Utah’s water supply faces a drier year

Salt Lake City (April 24, 2025) – With low streamflow forecasts, increased water demand as temperatures rise and southern Utah experiencing extreme drought, Gov. Spencer J. Cox issued an Executive Order today declaring a state of emergency in 17 counties due to drought conditions. The counties include: Washington, Iron, San Juan, Kane, Juab, Emery, Grand, Beaver, Garfield, Piute, Millard, Tooele, Uintah, Carbon, Sevier, Sanpete and Wayne. This declaration reflects USDA’s disaster classifications that are informed by the U.S. Drought Monitor and NRCS’s water supply report.

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7 ways to protect water resources in honor of Earth Day

Published 04-21-25

April 21, 2025 — Earth is a watery place. When we look at a photo from space, it’s easy to see that our planet has more water than land. But of all the water on Earth, more than 99-percent of it is unusable by humans and many other living things. It’s surprising that the water that supports all terrestrial and aquatic life on our planet is actually so scarce! 

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Image show the Jordan River with snow capped mountains and clouds in the background. Caption says Water Condition s Update April 2025

Utah Water Conditions Update April 2025

Published 04-18-25

SALT LAKE CITY (April 18, 2025) – Utah reached this year’s snowpack peak on March 23 at 14.3 inches, which is equal to the state’s typical annual peak. Southwestern Utah continues to experience extreme drought conditions. 

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image show a waterwise yard with a central grassy area

Residents of Utah Saved Over 100 Million Gallons of Water Through Landscape Conversions in 2024 

Published 04-17-25

SALT LAKE CITY (April 17, 2025) – Over 100 million gallons of water will be saved each year through landscape conversions in the 2024 Landscape Incentive Program. This vital initiative, led by the Utah Division of Water Resources and Central Utah, Jordan Valley, Washington County, and Weber Basin Water Conservancy Districts, empowers residents and businesses to save water while reducing water bills and contributing to Utah’s long-term water resilience. 

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Project database submission is open for the Unified Water Infrastructure Plan

Project database submission is open for the Unified Water Infrastructure Plan

Published 04-08-25

SALT LAKE CITY (April 8, 2025) — Utah is creating a Unified Water Infrastructure Plan (UWIP). The UWIP is a comprehensive list of water infrastructure projects that will potentially need state funds. Water infrastructure projects must be submitted to the UWIP Project Database by May 9, 2025 in order to qualify for state funding.

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Confronting Great Salt Lake's dust dilemmas

Confronting Great Salt Lake’s dust dilemmas

Published 03-07-25

SALT LAKE CITY (March 7, 2025) — The Utah Division of Water Resources has been hard at work on the Great Salt Lake Basin Integrated Plan for a little over a year now, and a handful of its projects are in full swing. The integrated plan — funded with $5 million by the Utah Legislature in 2022 (HB 429) and $3.1 million from the Bureau of Reclamation’s basin study program — aims to ensure a resilient water supply for Great Salt Lake and all water uses, including people and the environment, throughout the watershed. The research projects that make up the integrated plan range from groundwater well monitoring, to identifying water requirements for shorebirds and a lot more in between. Once complete, the integrated will be a robust planning tool that will inform future water management decisions within the basin.

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Cloud Seeding Part 2: Why Utah’s skies are ideal for cloud seeding

Published 02-19-25

This article is the second in a four-part blog series exploring cloud seeding and Utah’s efforts to bolster snowpack. Here, in Part Two, our meteorologist dives into why cloud seeding works well in Utah. Read Part One to learn about the fundamentals of cloud seeding — what it is, how it works and why it matters. Part Three covers how we ensure safety and best practices while Part Four clarifies common myths and misconceptions.

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Utah Water Conditions Update February 2025

Published 02-18-25

SALT LAKE CITY (Feb. 18, 2025) – Utah’s snowpack has raised concerns among water managers. The state’s snowpack sits at 93% of normal, with two southern Utah basins recording less than 50% of normal snow water equivalent (SWE). Extreme drought has reappeared in southwestern Utah for the first time since March 2023.  

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Cloud Seeding Part 4: Clearing the air — myths and misconceptions

Published 02-05-25

This article is the fourth in a four-part blog series exploring cloud seeding and Utah’s efforts to bolster snowpack. Here, in Part Four, our meteorologist addresses common myths and misconceptions about cloud seeding. Read Part One to learn about the fundamentals of cloud seeding — what it is, how it works and why it matters, Part Two to dive into why cloud seeding works well in Utah and Part Three to understand how we ensure safe and best practices.

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