Utah’s Coordinated Action Plan for Water released this week

SALT LAKE CITY — Gov. Spencer Cox and several state agencies released Utah’s Coordinated Action Plan for Water on Wednesday.

It’s being referred to as a groundbreaking effort to tackle water issues through bold action. State agencies hope this plan will secure a sustainable and prosperous future for the state and its residents.

The finished effort contains a compilation of past recommendations, negotiated trade-offs among competing objectives, and will serve as a plan of action to protect the future of water and its usage moving forward, according to a release on Wednesday from the Governor’s office.

Some actions in the plan include continued investment in Utah’s water infrastructure, such as upgrading aging facilities in need of improvements to meet the needs of future generations.

Also included in the Coordinated Action Plan

The plan also includes coordinated efforts to increase water use efficiency and conservation, including water rates, as Utah is expected to increase in population to 5,000,000 by 2050.

Even though an increase in population demands new and increased residential and business development, state agencies vow to continue execution and investment in agricultural infrastructure, including water optimization projects, irrigation system automation, metering, and data storage and dissemination.

The plan also calls for improvements affecting watershed health, efforts to educate the public about water conservation. And an understanding of the critical thresholds impacting the Great Salt Lake and its tributaries, which include the Colorado River.

“Our administration committed to establishing a statewide plan to coordinate our efforts around water,” Cox said. “This One Utah approach ensures the best management of one of our state’s most vital resources.”

Cox believes rapid growth and new challenges related to our climate means that Utah must take a comprehensive, proactive approach to conservation and planning for our future.

Past planning efforts have generated a list of over 200 recommendations and actions to safeguard. It will also improve the state’s water resources for a healthy and prosperous Utah.

The full plan can be found here. 

Read more:

• Utah Gov. Spencer Cox among western governors asking for drought help
• Utah leaders ask businesses to contribute to water conservation amid Colorado River shortage