Utah's
Water Resources
Executive summary
Chapters: 1
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
| 6 | 7 | 8
| Utah's water resources play an integral role in the life of every Utahn. From a morning shower to a weekend trip down the Colorado River, water is interwoven into nearly every activity. Use of Utah's water resources has allowed the rugged landscape to be settled, has provided Utahns with numerous employment and recreational opportunities, and has made |  |
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possible a high quality of life. The far-reaching vision of Utah's leaders, coupled with modern engineering technology, has allowed Utah's water supply to be harnessed and used on a large scale. Water has been made so readily available, in fact, that its relative scarcity in Utah's semi-arid climate is often overlooked. This reality must be fully recognized and appropriate decisions made in order to provide sufficient water for Utah's future population. Utah's Water Resources: Planning for the Future emphasizes the importance of careful planning and wise management in meeting future needs. It estimates Utah's available water supply, makes projections of water need, explores how these needs will most efficiently be met, and discusses other important values, including water quality and the environment. This document will be a useful guide and reference to local water planners and managers as they strive to meet the many water challenges facing Utah. It will also be of help to those in the general public who are interested in making greater contributions to water-related decisions being made by local, state and federal government officials. |
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The following paragraphs summarize the main points of each chapter:
Chapter
1
Introduction: Water Resources in Utah
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Utah's diverse and striking landscapes and its rich cultural history
owe their existence to the presence of water resources. Water is the
medium that shaped many of Utah's unique natural features. It is the
ingredient that caused its communities to blossom in the desert. Utah's
natural beauty and the strength of its communities have combined to
form a desirable quality of life for its residents. These conditions
have contributed to Utah's rapid growth in the past and they will likely
continue to do so in the future.
In order to meet future needs brought about by growth, Utah must promote
effective water conservation and water management technologies. This,
along with carefully planned water developments, will secure sufficient
water for the future.
Utah's institutional structure is well prepared for the challenges
at hand. Through careful coordination and cooperation, Utah's water
needs will be provided for and the integrity and beauty of the environment
will be preserved.
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Except for its neighbor to the west, Nevada, Utah receives less annual
average precipitation (13 inches) than any of the 50 states. The average
precipitation in the United States is close to 30 inches, more than
double that of Utah. If not for its mountains, which capture moisture
from passing storm systems and release it throughout the year, Utah
would be one vast desert.
While most of Utah's available water supply (7.3 million acre-feet per
year) is already used, the Division of Water Resources estimates that
790,000 acre-feet per year can yet be developed based on current legal,
political, economic and environmental constraints. Much of this developable
water supply (420,000 acre-feet per year) is located in the Colorado
River drainage, away from the large population centers along the Wasatch
Front. The Bear River drainage, with approximately 250,000 acre-feet
per year of developable water available to Utah, represents the most
significant source of water available to these areas.
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Chapter
3
Population and Water Use Trends and Projections
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Good employment opportunities, a pleasant climate, beautiful scenery,
and a broad range of other opportunities will continue to drive growth
and prosperity in Utah. By 2050, Utah's population is expected to more
than double to about five million. Assuming that current per capita
use rates remain steady, this population growth will increase municipal
and industrial (M&I) water diversions from current levels of about
900,000 acre-feet per year to over 1.9 million acre-feet per year.
Despite the rapid growth in urban water demands, agricultural irrigation
will continue to be the primary use of Utah's developed water supply.
These diversions will slowly decline from current levels near 4.6 million
acre-feet per year to about 4.2 million acre-feet per year as growth
in the M&I sector displaces traditional agricultural uses.
In addition to the changes in agricultural and M&I water demands,
environmental and recreational uses of Utah's water will continue to
play important roles in the future. Pressure to use water to sustain
important environmental values and recreational purposes will increase.
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Implementing effective water conservation measures and programs is critical
to satisfying Utah's future water needs. The state recognizes the importance
of water conservation and has implemented requirements for water retailers
and conservancy districts with more than 500 connections to prepare
water conservation plans and submit them to the Division of Water Resources
with updates every five years. This requirement covers a total of 150
utilities serving approximately 93 percent of Utah's population. As
of May 2001, 99 water suppliers and conservancy districts had complied
with the legislation and submitted a plan to the Division of Water Resources.
Much of Utah's public water supply is used to irrigate residential landscapes.
Conservation measures such as incentive pricing can be effective at
reducing water consumption.
The Division of Water Resources has also set an M&I water conservation
goal to reduce the per capita demand on public water supplies 25 percent
by the year 2050. This equates to an annual volume of about 400,000
acre-feet. This goal will be achieved as water suppliers implement various
conservation measures and programs that have proved effective. Among
these are incentive pricing, outdoor watering and landscape guidelines
and ordinances, water audits, meter installation on all water connections,
rebates and other incentive programs, and leak detection and repair
programs. In addition to these measures, a strong water conservation
education program is key to long-term success.
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Chapter
5
Water Transfers and Efficient Management of Developed Supplies
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As competition for limited water supplies increases, the value of those
supplies also increases. This economic incentive can lead to the outright
transfer of water from one use to another, or it can encourage other
water management strategies to be employed that maximize the benefits
provided by existing uses. Major sections within this chapter are as
follows:
Agricultural Water Transfers: converting agricultural water to M&I
uses as the associated land changes from agricultural to urban.
Agricultural Water-use Efficiency: implementing improved operating practices
and irrigation technology to improve water use efficiency.
Conjunctive Use: using surface and ground water supplies together instead
of separately to optimize beneficial use.
Aquifer Storage and Recovery: storing excess surface water in ground
water reservoirs and retrieving it later.
Secondary Water Systems: piping untreated water separately for use on
outdoor landscapes, thereby preserving treated water for potable purposes.
Cooperative Water Operating Agreements: contractual agreements between
water suppliers to better meet needs within each system, often using
facilities and resources jointly to meet peak or emergency demands.
Water Reuse: recycling effluent from wastewater treatment facilities.
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Water developments will continue to play an important role in meeting
Utah's future water needs. These developments will be based on sound
engineering, economic and environmental principles.
The completed Central Utah Project will help meet the needs of the Wasatch
Front. The Bear River Project and Lake Powell Pipeline, currently in
the feasibility stages, are two major projects that are being investigated
to help meet the M&I needs of the Wasatch Front, and Washington
and Kane counties, respectively. Numerous smaller projects will also
be needed to satisfy the demands of growth in other areas.
One option that has long been recognized as a means of enhancing the water supply is a form of weather modification known as cloud seeding. Areas in Utah that actively practice cloud seeding have realized a 7-20 percent increase in April 1 snow water content, and a combined total increase in runoff of approximately 13 percent. The estimated cost of water developed in these areas by cloud seeding is about one dollar per acre-foot.
In addition to new projects and weather modification, much of the existing
infrastructure is old and not of sufficient capacity to meet projected
needs. These systems will need to be upgraded and expanded as necessary.
Water-related funding should keep pace with these needs so systems can
operate efficiently and provide necessary safety to customers.
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Chapter
7
Water Quality, the Environment and Other Considerations
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Effectively meeting Utah's water needs involves more than providing
adequate water supplies and delivery systems. Values such as water quality
and the environment must also be carefully considered. Water managers
and planners need to implement policies and strategies that address
these sensitive and often controversial subjects. This includes educating
the public and seeking their input in the decision-making process. Effectively
addressing these and other topics will allow Utah's population to grow
without unnecessarily degrading our natural resources.
Water quality and environmental values will continue to play important
roles in water resource decisions. Addressing these topics effectively
will allow Utah's population to grow and the many benefits provided
by precious water resources to be sustained. (Photo of Mill Creek in
Salt Lake County, courtesy of the Utah Travel Council and Frank Jensen.)
Water quality topics that are of particular concern include: implementing
the Environmental Protection Agency's new Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)
rules; maintaining the integrity of riparian and flood plain corridors
amidst increasing development pressure; regulating storm water discharges
within urban areas; analyzing and controlling the effects of nutrient
loading on Utah's rivers and water bodies; managing animal feedlot operations;
and dealing with high septic tank density problems.
Environmental topics include: protecting and restoring endangered species to sustainable populations; preserving wetlands from loss or degradation; maintaining instream flows for fish and wildlife, recreational and other purposes; and analyzing the impacts of wilderness and wild and scenic river designation on the ability to access and use certain water resources.
Other considerations that are briefly discussed in this chapter include
land management and water yield, reserved water rights, and the Colorado
River. Careful consideration of these and other issues at the local
level will help assure the success of local projects.
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Chapter
8
Conclusion: Putting the Pieces Together
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The responsibility for making many decisions regarding water resources
resides with local leaders. These leaders can improve this decision-making
process by educating the public and seeking their participation in water-related
discussions. The role of government agencies is important in helping
local leaders meet the many challenges they face as they try to satisfy
the needs of the growing population within their communities. Government
agencies can provide valuable technical, financial and other types of
assistance which are not always possible at the local level. These agencies
should be involved in the early stages of local water projects to avoid
conflicts and setbacks that could have otherwise been avoided.
The future of Utah and its precious water resources is bright. Through
cooperation with state, federal and local interests, local leaders will
be able to meet the growing water needs within their communities while
preserving the quality and integrity of their natural surroundings.