Lawmakers vow they are not done in quest to save water

House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, recalled a time of foreboding for Utah two years ago when salinity levels at the Great Salt Lake were 18.7% and climbing because the iconic body of water had dwindled to record lows, reservoirs were struggling below half their capacity and concern was growing over the availability of water.

"We didn't know if we would have enough water, even enough drinking water," he said at the fourth annual Water Luncheon Thursday for lawmakers, policymakers and others.

While emphasizing the lake's condition still has a long way to go to get to ideal conditions, Schultz and others pointed to the state's $1 billion investment in the arena of water management, changes in water law, policy shifts and behavioral changes embraced by most in the state that are making a difference.

Speakers pointed to:

"Today, only 24% of the state is in drought," said Joel Ferry, executive director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources and the state's newly-appointed water agent. "Four years ago, it was 100%."

He added that Great Salt Lake has increased, "but we still have a long ways to go. We have to keep our foot on the gas."

Ferry also pointed to the implementation of the state's secondary water metering program with an investment of $250 million. So far, over 28,000 meters have been installed and another 85,000 are in the cue.

The meters show both the water provider and the recipient how much water they are using in real time. Such knowledge, Ferry said, typically results in a reduction of water use by as much as 30%.

Lawmakers also established the Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner and set up a $40 million trust that negotiates donations of water for the lake or payments to water right holders to relinquish their water on a temporary and voluntary basis.

Several big players have stepped up, such as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Compass Minerals.

"The lake is still a pressing problem that needs to be solved," said Great Salt Lake Commissioner Brian Steed, "and we need to be working toward that."

Steed acknowledged a risk of public burnout.

"In terms of public sentiment and generally the energy of the state, I think quite candidly, sometimes people get tired of hearing about it, but even if they get tired of hearing about it, it doesn't mean it's not important. And I'm firmly optimistic, despite my reputation of sometimes being Dr. Doom, that we can get this right, and that the state actually does have the energy and focus that it needs to have on the lake."

Lawmakers also established the Colorado River Authority of Utah to ensure the state has a place at the bargaining table when it comes to modifications to managing the Colorado River anticipated to be released next year.

The seven basin states within the Colorado River drainage have until the end of the year to come up with their plan.

Gene Shawcroft, the Upper Basin Colorado River Commissioner, assured the group that Utah will stand firm to protect its share of the water.

But he cautioned that less water in the system means that although everyone gets a slice of that pie, the slice will be smaller. The slice will remain representative of what Utah is entitled to — 23% — but it is not going to get the same amount of water if there is less pie to cut.

"That's reality and and how Mother Nature continues to throw curveballs is yet to be seen, but we will definitely have every right to use every drop of that 23%," Shawcroft said.

Not just saving water

The state's plan is more broad-based and complicated than keeping water in the system. The system itself has to work.

Teresa Wilhemsen said she has a long list of dams in need of minimum standard upgrades, the majority of which are in rural areas and do include downstream communities at risk.

These water storage facilities were built decades ago and need to play catch up to modern safety standards.

But at current funding, it would take 100 years to make those fixes to rectify a situation she said needs immediate attention.

Aside from storage, there's a $38 billion need to address aging infrastructure needs. While the primary goal is saving water and making sure there is enough, it does little good if the pipelines needed to get it where it should go have failed.

"I look at the future of water and growth in this state, and water, in 20 years, if not sooner, will be the limiting factor in terms of growth in this state," said Rep. Casey Snider, R-Paradise. "Right now, we recognize housing as an issue and transportation, we fund to that end, to make that happen."

It is time lawmakers, he said, shift some gears and their attention and state dollars toward water infrastructure.

"And I know envy is one of the seven deadly sins, but it's hard not to know that future that is coming in terms of water and not be envious of our investment in transportation. When it's multi billions every year, a billion dollars ongoing, we do not have transportation as a limiting factor in the state because of good planning and good investment."

Former House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, who began the annual meetings four years ago, said the critical nature of water, the state's position of balancing a lot of demands and the risk of more drought demand action, and expertise for Utah to be prepared.

"I think that Utah had a long period of time where policymakers collectively didn't really know a lot about water policy. I think that's changed," Wilson said. "I think that moving forward, every state leader, every legislator, probably every county commissioner in the state, is going to have to be water experts. That's the state we live in now."