water

The U.S. Forest Service says it wants to do a better job safeguarding the nation’s groundwater. But its initiative to protect that vital resource is coming under attack in Utah and elsewhere. KUER’s Judy Fahys reports.

Utah’s State Water Development Commission has a simple message for the Forest Service and its new groundwater directive.

A drought in southwestern Utah means there’s not enough water to fulfill the needs of all property owners in the area. KUER’s Judy Fahys reports on the priority list that’s leaving some Washington County water users dry this year.

The annual native plant sale takes place Saturday morning at Recycle Utah in Park City. Organizers say replacing that Kentucky bluegrass with Wasatch penstemon will help conserve water - an increasingly valuable resource in Utah.

Utah is the second largest consumer of water per person in the nation, and Utahns use about two-thirds of that water on lawns and landscapes.  Executive Director of Park City Conservation Association Insa Riepen says that’s an irresponsible and unnecessary use of a valuable resource.

Utah is the second largest consumer of water per person in the nation, but Utah State University Extension is offering a program to help people cut down on wasted water by getting a free sprinkler check.

According to USU, about two-thirds of water in private homes is used on lawns and landscapes. 40 percent of that water is wasted, says Molly Waters, the university’s water check program manager.

“Water is wasted in the landscape through things as simple as watering too long, or too frequently, to having major breaks that you don’t know about,” Waters says.

A broad coalition of water conservation groups is calling for a legislative audit of the Utah Division of Water Resources. The partnership includes Living Rivers, the Taxpayer Association of Kane County and Glen Canyon Institute. Zack Frankel is the executive director of Utah Rivers Council which is also part of the coalition.

The effort to pump water from Utah to Las Vegas heads to court, the University of Utah names a new dean of graduate studies, and the number of Mormon missionaries reaches an all-time high.

A new report shows that Salt Lake City women are regularly concerned about their safety, a West Valley City councilman joins the mayoral race, and government and environmental leaders discuss the future of the Colorado river.

Local leaders celebrated the completion today of the Provo Reservoir Canal Enclosure, one of the most significant water projects in Utah. The celebration comes after nearly two decades of planning, negotiating and hard work from several of the Wasatch Front’s major water districts and local governments. But the project isn’t without some loose ends.

Intermountain Health Care is fined more than $25 million dollars, Governor Herbert won’t be signing a water agreement with Nevada, and the USDA targets poverty in Southeast Utah.

Governor Herbert says he’s close to a decision about the Snake Valley water agreement, the Utah Foundation addresses the conflict between education and transportation, and the Department of Corrections gets a new executive director.

The Senate Revenue and Taxation committee chose not to move on a bill that would have allowed the state to tax water usage.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced its approval Thursday for a 300-mile pipeline from the interior valleys of the Great Basin to Las Vegas.  The pipeline would be used to carry more than 84,000 acre-feet of water pumped from underground aquifers each year.  The project is opposed by environmental groups, ranchers, local government officials and Native American tribes in both Nevada and Utah.

Salt Lake County residents voice their complaints about a proposed tax hike, Salt Lake City welcomes immigrants, and a former state legislator switches parties.

A coalition of ranchers, environmentalists and political leaders sent a letter to Governor Gary Herbert, asking him not to sign a deal worked out with the state of Nevada to divide water rights in the Snake Valley.  Steve Erickson represents the Great Basin Water Network.  He says the deal worked out three years ago should be scrapped and the states should negotiate a new one.

"We have plenty of time to do further science and assess the potential damages from this project before we sign on the bottom line," Erickson told reporters at the Utah state capitol.

The Utah Transit Authority makes some major schedule changes, the Utah Division of Water Quality finalizes its work on the Red Butte Creek oil spill, and a new study shows how Utah could benefit from the Missouri river.

The U.S. Interior Department triggers a high-flow release at Glen Canyon Dam, Dixie State College continues its search for a new name, and the Utah Shakespeare Festival receives its largest cash donation ever.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar is expected to make an appearance just south of Utah’s border at Glen Canyon Dam Monday.  Salazar will be there to trigger a controlled flood from Utah’s Lake Powell into Arizona’s Glen and Grand Canyons, the first high-flow release conducted at that dam since 2008. 

Utah’s Democratic Party appeals a nearly $15,000 records fee, the Southern Nevada Water Authority threatens a lawsuit against Utah, and state health officials confirm the first human case of West Nile Virus.

The Utah Division of Water Quality has begun a long-term project to set new pollution standards for the Great Salt Lake.  The lake contains significant levels of toxic pollutants such as arsenic, lead, selenium and mercury, among other things.  Jeff Ostermiller, the chief of the Water Quality Management Section at the division, says some of that comes from industries surrounding the lake.  But he says there are many other sources as well, including urban runoff from streets along the Wasatch Front.