SALT LAKE CITY (Nov. 21, 2024) – As of late November, Utah’s water conditions represent a mixed outlook. Current soil moisture levels are around 9% below normal, raising early concerns about potential impacts on next year’s spring runoff. Low soil moisture means that, without improvement, more of the snowmelt may be absorbed by dry ground before it reaches streams and reservoirs.
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SALT LAKE CITY (Nov. 19, 2024) – In relation to SB 34 (2023), the Utah Division of Water Resources has contracted with LRB Public Finance Advisors to complete a new study on water infrastructure funding. This study evaluates how property tax revenue is currently utilized in the supply, delivery and water infrastructure needs of Utah and neighboring states. It also explores best practices for the procurement and management of infrastructure funding and makes recommendations for promoting equity among water users.
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SALT LAKE CITY (Oct. 21, 2024) – The Utah Division of Water Resources and the Utah Division of Facilities Construction and Management have partnered to create the State Facility Water Tracker. This new tool displays data related to water use specifically at state facilities. Visualizing this data helps us better understand water conservation efforts at these locations. Preliminary numbers show that Utah state facilities have achieved a 20% reduction in water use since 2020.
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Washington, D.C. (09/30/24)—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized the Utah Division of Water Resources with a WaterSense Excellence Award for promoting the WaterSense brand. WaterSense honored its Sustained Excellence, Partner of the Year, and Excellence Award winners during the WaterSmart Innovations (WSI) Conference. The division was one of 22 Excellence Award winners.
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While Holland is responsible for Tulipmania and popularizing tulips, the flowering bulb is not native to Holland. In fact, most of the winter-hardy bulbs we are familiar with — like daffodils, tulips and hyacinths — are indigenous to Eastern Europe.
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SALT LAKE CITY (May 16, 2024) – As of mid-May, over half of this winter’s snow has melted. Utah’s water conditions continue to benefit from favorable weather patterns, ensuring optimal spring runoff. Short periods of warm temperatures followed by cooler weather and precipitation have helped slow snowmelt.
“A slow warmup is exactly what we need to have a safe and effective spring runoff,” Candice Hasenyager, director of the Division of Water Resources, said. “We still have a good amount of snow in the mountains, so we are hoping for a gradual snowmelt.”
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In Part 1 of the Sprouting Sustainability series, we discussed the beneficial role of a water-efficient veggie garden here in semi-arid Utah, along with the unique needs of our watersheds, attitudes about landscapes and incentives available for landscape conversions. Now we’re diving into the garden patch to give you actionable tips as you cultivate your waterwise veggie paradise.
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(April 25, 2024)
Spring weather is here, and the gardening season is beginning. Residentially, most of our water is used on the landscape. However, there are a few tricks to help reduce water waste without compromising the aesthetic value of your garden.
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April 22, 2024 — 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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SALT LAKE CITY (April 18, 2024) – As April unfolds, Utah’s water situation reflects a delicate balance between melting snowpack, reservoir management and rising temperatures. Recent data suggests that we most likely witnessed the peak of our snowpack, reaching 18.8 inches on April 2, surpassing the median peak snowpack of 16 inches.
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