Utah’s 2022 and 2023 legislative sessions concluded with a record number of water conservation bills and appropriations totaling nearly $1 billion in spending. 2024 legislation continued the trend and added to the efforts to protect Utah’s water resources. These efforts will help Utah become water-efficient and thus resilient in both dry and wet years. Moreover, this resiliency will help preserve and protect the Great Salt Lake.
2024 Highlights
HB 11: Water Efficient Landscaping Requirements
- Prohibits the use of overhead spray irrigation unless in an active recreation area for new construction and reconstruction for cities, schools and state government facilities in the Great Salt Lake Basin
HB 61: Water Measuring and Accounting Amendments
- Adds the promotion of telemetry to the State Water Policy and provides rule-making authority to the State Engineer relating to telemetry requirements and distribution accounting
HB 62: Utah Water Ways Amendments
- Directs Utah Water Ways to coordinate with the State Board of Education to create resources and professional development opportunities to be used in the K-12 public education system
HB 275: Water Amendments
- Prevents HOAs from prohibiting an owner from incorporating waterwise landscaping, permits the state engineer to require data to be submitted electronically and clarifies who is eligible for grant money for water conservation efforts other than secondary water metering
HB 280: Water Related Changes
- Addresses long-term water planning needs by creating a process and funding mechanism to plan for and implement water infrastructure projects. It creates the Water Infrastructure Fund, modifies the State Water Plan and studies various state water efforts
- Long-term water planning is critical to our future. HB 280 creates the Water Infrastructure Fund, which is modeled after the Transportation Infrastructure Fund
- Various studies will come out of this legislation, including state water funding consolidations, fees for water users, statewide water projects and participants in the Water Development Coordinating Council
- An updated State Water Plan will be published by the end of 2026 and will include results from those studies
HB 453: Great Salt Lake Revisions
- Nicknamed the “Great Salt Lake Conservation Act,” this bill sets parameters for responsible mineral extraction when the lake falls below healthy levels and ensures the state is fairly compensated
- In addition to its value as a unique ecosystem, the Great Salt Lake also contains valuable minerals like lithium, which is used for things like batteries for cellphones, laptops and electric vehicles
- As the demand for lithium has increased and technology to extract lithium has advanced, it has become increasingly important for the state to establish rules to safeguard the lake and set a royalty that fairly compensates the state
- The revenue from lithium royalties could amount to millions, possibly even billions of dollars, that could fund lake restoration efforts
- On average, the state currently generates approximately $10-12 million each year in royalty revenue from mineral extraction on the lake
- The goal is to strike a balance between industry and the health of the Great Salt Lake – while ensuring the state is fairly compensated
SB 18: Water Modifications
- Grants rulemaking authority to the State Engineer related to saved water, allowing farmers to sell or send conserved water downstream without losing their water rights
- This allows farmers who have switched to new water-saving technologies to file applications to either sell that conserved water or send it downstream without fear of losing their water rights
- This isn’t use it or lose it. Individuals who opt into the agricultural optimization program can be rewarded for their conservation efforts
SB 125: Secondary Water Amendments
- Modifies who may meter at strategic points of a system as approved by the state engineer and changes certain caps on grants for secondary water metering
- For areas outside the Great Salt Lake Basin or serviced by one of the four largest conservancy districts, an exception can be applied to systems that serve up to 2,500 users (as opposed to 1,000 users)
SB 211: Generational Water Infrastructure Amendments
- Water planning looks 50 years out, and projections indicate additional water will be needed. We are the beneficiaries of infrastructure investment that happened decades ago
- This bill creates the Water District Water Development Council and a water agent to look into the future of Utah’s water supply and connect with other states to bring water in will be critical to Utah’s future
- We need to be smarter stewards of this precious resource. In addition to conservation and efficiency measures that save water, we are also looking for ways to increase our water supply
SB 242: Utah Lake Modifications
- This bill repeals the Utah Lake Restoration Act and the provisions related to the Utah Lake Diking Project
- The Utah Lake Restoration Act was passed in 2018 to clean up Utah Lake, provided they could meet certain criteria. Since the criteria were not met, this bill repeals the statute allowing a clean slate for future studies and work
SB 270: Utah Lake and Great Salt Lake Study Amendments
- This bill requires the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands to study enhancing habitat, conserving water resources, improving water quality and enhancing recreational use of Utah Lake
- Conditions that may impact Utah Lake’s ability to deliver water to the Great Salt Lake must also be studied