America's Opportunity to Protect the Colorado River
On December 18, the Utah Rivers Council submitted a coalition letter to the U.S Department of Interior asking that the Bureau of Reclamation eject the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline from its current permitting.
The Utah Rivers Council also launched a Change.org petition to ask Americans to join our coalition across the Colorado River Basin in calling upon the Bureau of Reclamation to eject the Lake Powell Pipeline from environmental permitting. The Provo Office of the Bureau initiated permitting in 2020, and the federal government needs to stop this folly once and for all. The multi-billion-dollar Lake Powell Pipeline is the largest new proposed water diversion in the Colorado River Basin and will impact millions of people across the region including inside of Utah.
Please join the Utah Rivers Council in calling for a sustainable and healthy Colorado River by signing our Change.org petition and sharing the link with your family, friends and community.
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We Are Suing the State for Its Failure to Protect the Great Salt Lake
The Utah Rivers Council has joined with Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, American Bird Conservancy, Center for Biological Diversity, and the Sierra Club to hold the state of Utah accountable for its maintain the basic health of the Great Salt Lake. Our coalition is represented by the excellent attorneys from Earthjustice.
Recognizing that Utah is going backwards in doing what is necessary to raise the Great Salt Lake, the Utah Rivers Council and partners are eager to use the judicial system to move forward in protecting the Lake for millions of Utahns and 10 million migratory birds. Some may be surprised to hear criticism of Utah since Lake levels have risen after spring runoff, but no substantive efforts have been taken to address the Lake crisis by the State of Utah.
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New Bill to Fund Great Salt Lake Restoration Unveiled
A new bill was unveiled Wednesday that could help fund restoration of the Great Salt Lake by providing a funding source from existing tax collections over the next five years. Rep. Joel Briscoe (D, Salt Lake) is sponsoring the Great Salt Lake Funding Modifications Bill, HB 286, which would redirect some $60 million in existing annual sales tax collections in Utah to a fund to restore the Great Salt Lake. With Great Salt Lake water levels dropping to alarming levels, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle and millions of Utahns agree it is important now more than ever to protect the Lake.
The sales tax money being proposed for redirection to restore the Great Salt Lake are currently going to a construction fund which was started by the Utah Legislature in 2015. This fund, known as WIRA, or Water Infrastructure Restricted Account, has amassed a whopping $179 million dollars that haven’t been touched since the creation of the account. The purpose of the fund is to pay for the construction of the Lake Powell Pipeline and Bear River Development.
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URC Coalition Report shows Antiquated Plumbing in Glen Canyon Dam Could Cripple Western Water Supplies
The Utah Rivers Council and its non-profit partners released a new report on how archaic engineering inside Glen Canyon Dam is creating a serious water supply crisis for the entire Colorado River Basin.
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The 2022 Utah Legislative Session Was NOT the Year of Water
The “Year of Water” was a carefully choreographed charade to fool the public into believing the Utah Legislature is doing everything they can to conserve water, so they can charge forward with proposed Bear River Development and the Lake Powell Pipeline, claiming they have done everything else they could first.
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Speaker's Great Salt Lake Bill Cut Short by Weak Utah Water Law
Speaker Wilson unveiled HB 410 to help the Great Salt Lake, but many are disappointed that the measure fails to offer a permanent means of protecting the Lake. HB 410 awards $40 million to one new entity to acquire temporary water rights, protect lands or prepare studies on the Lake. But Utah’s restrictive instream flow laws threaten to impair these efforts before they even get off the ground.
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Behind the Scenes with Bill Author Lindsey Hutchison on the Great Salt Lake Contingency Plan
The Utah Rivers Council just announced its Great Salt Lake Drought Contingency proposal, a bill that has received sponsorship from Representative Douglas Sagers (R) from Tooele. Because citizens and elected officials are all interested in saving the American West’s largest lake and namesake of Utah’s capital city, the bill has gotten a lot of attention. To answer some popular questions, we turned to the bill’s original author, Utah Rivers Council Water Policy Associate Lindsey Hutchison.
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URC Unveils Proposed Bill to Save the Great Salt Lake
The Utah Rivers Council has proposed an exciting, new piece of legislation to save the Great Salt Lake. The bill is a drought contingency plan that phases in commonsense, water-saving actions when the Lake shrinks below a healthy elevation. Representative Douglas Sagers has agreed to sponsor the legislation as a priority bill, and we await its announcement in the House.
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Sadly, the Governor's "Coordinated Action Plan for Water" is Nothing New
On January 13, Governor Cox released his Coordinated Action Plan for Water. Branded as a “groundbreaking effort,” the document is meant to show that Utah’s executive office is on the cutting edge of water policy. However, the governor has not announced large new plans, programs, or strategies for addressing water issues in the state. There is nothing substantially new in the Governor’s plan.
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As Controversial Pine Valley EIS is Released, Western Groups Ask State Auditor to Investigate Iron County Water District
In early January, Iron County Water Conservatives, Great Basin Water Network, and Utah Rivers Council filed a complaint with the State Auditor requesting an investigation into Central Iron County Water Conservancy District’s violations of the Utah Open & Public Meetings Act.
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New Report: Upper Basin States Overusing Colorado River Water
A groundbreaking new research report demonstrates that our changing climate has resulted in a 19% decline in Colorado River flows in the last two decades. The report also shows that three of the four Upper Basin states (Utah, Colorado and New Mexico) are overusing their rights to Colorado River water and have not reduced their use in the face of a declining water supply.
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It's Time for Governor Cox to get Serious about our Climate Change Mega Drought
Earth Day comes on the heels of Governor Cox’s Executive Order declaring a state of emergency due to extreme drought conditions. Governor Cox recommended some mild water conservation measures which fail to provide the vital leadership Utahns deserve in this climate change mega drought.
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New Water Bill Rushed Through Committee as Lobbyists Eliminate Public Oversight
HB 297 would create a new water agency to advance climate change denial, Lake Powell Pipeline, and backroom dealmaking. It’s being rushed through both chambers at the Utah Capitol, at the behest of water lobbyists eager to receive billions in tax payer dollars.
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Western Groups Ask USDA Inspector General to Investigate Mike Noel’s Proposed Reservoir
A Coalition seeks an investigation into Kane County Water District proposal for $22 million in taxpayer funding and whether it violates federal law. Project purpose was claimed to be agricultural, but money is really for municipal water in suburbs of St. George.
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Six State Coalition Send Historic Letter Opposing Lake Powell Pipeline to Secretary of Interior
Utah’s largest new water diversion in Colorado River Basin ignites a modern water war, results in veiled threat of litigation by other states. In a stunning letter to the Secretary of Interior, a coalition of state water agencies, large water suppliers, and Governors’ representatives of Nevada, Arizona, California, Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico are asking that Utah’s controversial Lake Powell Pipeline be placed on hold.
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Water Agencies Proposing Lake Powell Pipeline Create More Smoke & Mirrors to Hide 2020 Pipeline Cost
The Division of Water Resources and Washington County Water District are continuing to avoid transparency about the costs of the Lake Powell Pipeline in a recent press release. The Division claims the project costs just $1.4 billion, but provides no evidence to support this claim.
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A Coalition of Businesses and Nonprofits Request Redacted Cost Estimate for Lake Powell Pipeline as Legislature Considers Budget Cuts
A group of nonprofits and businesses is worried that a state water agency is intentionally withholding cost estimates from Utahns because of public criticism of cutting public services to make way for Pipeline spending.
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URC Files Protest Against Water Rights for the Lake Powell Pipeline
The Utah Rivers Council submitted a 60 page protest against the water rights application for the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline. Our protest asks the State Engineer to reject the water rights application, focusing specifically on the Pipeline’s substantial threat to public welfare and outlining the scores of climate change studies…
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2nd of 3 Utah Counties Backs Out of Destructive, Unnecessary, and Expensive Lake Powell Pipeline
As a glimmer of good news during uncertain times, Utah water cartel members announced that the Kane County Water District is backing out of the proposed $3 billion Lake Powell Pipeline. Yes, you read correctly.
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The Graveyard of Water Conservation
There are dozens of bills on water this legislative session, some good and some bad. The Utah Rivers Council has refocused our efforts on two bills, H.B. 40 sponsored by Representative Melissa Ballard and H.B. 328 proposed by Representative Joel Ferry.
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