This week in Utah’s land, water, and air

Welcome to September! It has been another exiting week at the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air. We are pleased to announce we have entered a partnership with Rio Tinto Kennecott. The company has pledged $450,000 over three years to ...

Last week, I kicked off my first semester as a Master of Natural Resources student by participating in a Colorado River Science fieldwork class led by Dr. Terry Dial from Utah State’s Moab campus. A mixed group of undergraduate and graduate students spent...

In an unprecedented move, Utah leaders announced Tuesday that the state is suing the federal government to take ownership of 18.5 million acres of land currently under the jurisdiction of U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

One of the more satisfying things I get to do as Executive Director of the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air is bring people together that may not have otherwise met. A year or so ago, I was able to introduce some of my colleagues fro...

I had the opportunity last week to drive the state from top to bottom to attend the groundbreaking of the new USU Monument Valley education building. Although the eight-hour drive is a long one, I’m always struck at how it doesn’t get old for me

This is a special week for the U.S. Forest Service. Smokey the Bear turns 80! He has been teaching about campfire and forest safety since 1944. Three generations of visitors to American’s wilderness areas have been taught how to behave around fire by this...

I hope you all had a wonderful, albeit unusually smokey and hot 24th of July. This holiday has always been meaningful for me. 15 of my 16 Great Grandparents walked with the Mormon Pioneers to the land which would eventually be called Utah.

While I love the summer, I have to admit that all this hot and dry weather is kind of getting me down. It turns out that I am not alone. Heat has physical and psychological effects. It increases irritability, makes concentration harder, and can affect the...

To start with the obvious, IT IS HOT OUT THERE! Heat warnings extend across Utah and throughout the west. These warnings will seemingly stay in effect at least through the end of the week. The city of Las Vegas, Nevada hit a record that I’m pretty sure no...

Speaking of fireworks, the U.S. Supreme Court ended their term this past week with a bang, through multiple rulings that will have large implications for Utah.

It’s a weeks of twos! Here are two new legal developments this week that may affect future land use in Utah: 1) The state is joining Wyoming to sue the federal government over the BLM’s Public Lands Rule, which puts conservation on equal footing with comm...

Recently, Utah has experienced a preview of what could be a very busy wildfire summer. More than 275 wildfires have already been reported this year. Over 80% of these have been human caused. The Little Twist Fire in Beaver County, the largest fire current...

When summer comes in Utah, I always have three things on my mind: How hot will it be? How much water will we have available at the end of summer? And how bad will the wildfires become? We got a little clarity on these issues this week.

I know not everyone is thrilled by this week’s much warmer summer temperatures, but I couldn’t be happier. It’s great time to remember, though, heat safety tips (hydrate, hydrate), summer ozone awareness (limit gas-powered lawn equipment), and landscape w...

Fishing is one of my preferred outdoor activities. I am therefore always interested in questions of river access and property rights. I was fascinated this week by The Salt Lake Tribune’s reporting on disputes in the lower Provo River, one of our prized B...

This week, the Utah Inland Port Authority board approved the West Weber Project Area industrial development while UIPA contends that its involvement in the industrial-zoned areas will provide greater protections than would otherwise exist through supporti...

The big news of the week was the incredibly rare northern lights show last weekend. This year’s active solar cycle has given us several rare auroral events visible in Utah, but nothing like this one. Those that stayed vigilant past midnight on Friday nigh...

We’re at the Friends of Great Salt Lake Issues Forum this week, which attendees call the “Super Bowl” of Great Salt Lake discussions. A lot has happened in Utah since the last session of this conference in 2022, and we’ve heard updates on Utah policy, res...

Today, we are thrilled to announce the launch of the Colorado River Collaborative, a new statewide media group to help train, inform, and support news organizations in telling solutions-focused, local-perspective news stories on the Colorado River. USU’s ...

The big news this week is one that most Utahns will miss. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is by far the largest land manager in the State—managing 22.8 million acres of land ranging from mountains, deserts, and red rock canyons, to salt flats.

A wet March bolstered an already healthy snowpack for much of the state. This means most Utahns can expect a higher than average runoff this Spring—great news for human water storage and the environment. Great Salt Lake continues to climb and looks likely...

The most pressing story this week is the warning issued yesterday by state officials regarding damage on the Panguitch Lake Dam. Officials noted yesterday that ice on the lake, combined with high water levels has damaged the dam and risk breach. Experts a...

We enjoyed hearing from state leaders and researchers at our combined Northern Utah Water Users/USU Spring Runoff Conference last week.

The Northern Utah Water Users/Spring Runoff Conference in Logan highlighted the wonderful work being done by policy makers, researchers, government organizations, agriculture producers, and water users in Utah to share this scarce and vital resource.

Join us in Logan next week, March 26-27, at the combined Spring Runoff/Northern Utah Water Users Conference, where researchers, water users, and policymakers will share insights and updates on Utah water management. We’re excited to hear from USU Presiden...

For weeks to come, we’ll be digging into Utah Legislative session retrospectives. To start: How did the session affect Great Salt Lake? Several summaries of Great Salt Lake bills--passed and failed--are making the rounds. Check out KUER, KSL, The Great Sa...

Welcome to March! Recent storms have pushed the Great Salt Lake watershed snow water equivalency to 129% of median and 100% of median peak—which generally does not happen until the first part of April. It is always good to be running a month ahead of sche...

We have almost made it through another legislative session. With two days to go, legislators are in a dead sprint to get bills across the finish line and complete the appropriations process. It is always a fun time of year to see what happens prior to 11:...

It’s Water Week at the capitol! Legislators are wearing blue and considering nearly 30 bills affecting water in Utah. Both the majority and minority parties have expressed their support to in addressing sustainable water policies, and we’re continuing to ...

Happy February! We’re less than two months out from April 3, which, in Utah, is our median peak for snow water equivalent. I have this page bookmarked to keep track of how we are doing. Right now we’re riding right on the median line, but I’m hoping addit...

Surprisingly, land, water, and air news doesn’t stop during the Utah legislative session. A number of big stories this week happened in the energy area: President Biden halts a huge liquified natural gas terminal in Louisiana and releases a massive solar ...

After a long pause, storminess returned to Utah last week, helping our snowpack in Northern Utah to substantially rebound. Many areas of the Great Salt Lake basin now have higher than average snowpack. If the trend continues, we should expect a healthy ru...

I hope everyone had a great Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The kids in my area love the patriotic holidays when they can plant the neighborhood flags in three-foot snowbanks, rather than hammer them into frozen, bare ground. (Here in Cache Valley, we’ve add...

Yesterday, the Great Salt Lake Strike Team released a new data and insights report in advance of the 2024 Utah General Legislative Session. The report includes new science on the 2023 water year and runoff efficiency, analysis of reservoir storage and sal...

Looking back on 2023, we’ve seen a number of opportunities and challenges in Utah’s land, water, and air. I was scrolling these photos of the year, which included 10 images featuring Utah’s natural resources, and I’m reminded of our wet winter, greater at...

The proposed Uinta Basin Railway was dealt another blow this week, as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia denied a petition to rehear challenges to its decision this summer that stopped the project. The 88-mile railway would ship fossil...

Nearly 70,000 world leaders are gathering in Dubai for COP28, two weeks of United Nations climate talks that begin on Thursday. Here’s a helpful primer about the conference’s goals, challenges and controversies. You may start to see changes to some of Uta...

As we head into the Thanksgiving Holiday this week, I am particularly grateful to get to live in Utah. We have access to some of the most beautiful places on earth right here. Sometimes I think we take it for granted just how lucky we are. Not only are sp...

A number of Utah water discussions are taking place this week at the Salt Lake County Watershed Symposium (today and tomorrow in West Valley City) and at the Utah Water Policy Symposium (tomorrow in Orem). Great Salt Lake will be a key topic, as well as c...

I was pleased to open the news this week and find my friend Commissioner Tammy Pearson from Beaver County, Utah discussing the plight of rural counties in the modern West. Beaver County provides an excellent case study of the challenges found in diversify...

Colorado River Federal officials say plan for water cuts from 3 Western states is enough to protect Colorado River. (Associated Press) Communities Salt Lake City announced plans to 'daylight' City Creek. (KSL.com) AUDIO: Wastewater reveals whi

From Great Salt Lake to air quality, a new report details how Utah's environment is changing. (FOX 13, ABC 4) Land, water and air report details key concerns, issues related to Utah's natural resources. (KSL.com) Utahns are "very concerned" about wa

Agriculture America's farming population is rapidly aging, potentially putting the nation's food supply at risk. (St. George News) Air Quality New way of tracking pollution hopes to discover why U.S. air pollution progress is slowing. (Bloomberg)

People living in the West are breathing in 27 times more pollution from wildfire smoke than they were 10 years ago. (KSL News Radio) ‘Roving sentinels’ identified new air pollution sources, discovering neighborhoods that were redlined a century ago hav

October is here, and with it some stunning photographs of the changing leaves around the northern part of the state. You can enjoy the fall foliage with a number of family-friendly hikes along the Wasatch Front.

A federal appeals court on Monday ruled against the state of Utah’s request for a stay on the Environmental Protection Agency’s “good neighbor” rule, which regulates the flow of air pollution across state lines.

Summer storms have continued to make for a great water year. As of September 14, the state’s precipitation measured in at 139% of normal. Accordingly, reservoirs remain relatively full for this time of year.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that this year, just through August, there have been 23 weather extreme events in America that cost at least $1 billion. That’s a record over 2020’s 22 events, and there’s still four months to ...

With Labor Day behind us, Fall is officially coming. I would encourage you all to get outside and enjoy the perfect weather and beautiful scenes that Utah is sure to provide.

Following a Supreme Court decision earlier this year, the Environmental Protection Agency has released a new rule, drastically scaling back its protections for wetlands. More than half of U.S. wetlands are impacted, as Clean Water Act protections extend o...

Even as California is recovering from unprecedented rain on the bizarre path of Tropical Storm Hilary, news reports that Utah is among the five states least impacted by natural disasters. (Knock on wood.)

This week, we are again reminded of the incredible devastation that can come from dry vegetation, high temperatures, and strong winds. The Maui wildfires are tragic in their level of human, environmental, economic, and cultural cost.

President Biden will make his first presidential trip to Utah tomorrow, as part of a tour of the West, with stops in New Mexico and Arizona as well. Today, he’s announcing plans for the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon...

Happy August! Looks like we may see a little bit of needed summer monsoon weather over the next few days. This week, I’ve been talking to a lot of folks about Utah’s water budget.

I hope you all had a great time celebrating the 24th of July! There are some awesome news stories contained in the roundup this week. I would especially recommend that you check out the KSL story on the proposed monument along the Arizona Strip.

Our cold, wet winter and cool spring are distant memories. It’s so hot out there! The heat is bringing all sorts of new concerns. I was particularly caught this week by news that the heat is impacting our roadways. Very interesting stuff there.

Salt Lake City isn't the only major city to move away from a firework show this year in an effort to minimize negative air quality impacts. (NPR)

We live in a pretty remarkable country. Even with all its faults, the United States of America still stands for so many meaningful things.

Just in time for summer, the phrase “watermelon snow” entered the state’s public discourse this week as USU’s Scott Hotaling’s research on the phenomenon caught national attention.

Even though it may not feel like it, summer is finally here. And with the changing season, Salt Lake City also celebrated the return of the Outdoor Retailer convention.

This week, we’re seeing the growing complexity of energy issues throughout the region.

In an interesting turn of events this week, the city of Phoenix, Arizona announced that it is curbing development in some of its fastest-growing areas due to concerns over water shortages.

Spring in Utah is unquestionably lovely and almost always feels like a reward for having survived the long winters here. While this is especially true this year, we have experienced something unusual—bad springtime air quality from dust and smoke events....

The Bureau of Land Management recently proposed a Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, which would allow the agency to create and sell conservation leases on BLM-managed land.

Utah reached two important water milestones this week as the Great Salt Lake passed 4293 feet (up over 4 feet in elevation since the November 2022 low) and the remaining portions of severe drought dropped off the national drought monitor map.

When the pendulum in Utah swings from too little water to too much water, new challenges are bound to emerge. Reservoirs that were close to empty now must hold record runoff

In something of a personal triumph, the last patch of snow melted in my yard in Logan late Sunday evening. Spring seems like it is going to stick around this time. Warmer weather is bringing large runoffs statewide and flooding in parts of the state.

In further proof that northern Utah feels more like Alaska this spring, Utahns got a rare viewing of aurora borealis on Sunday night.

Utah’s flood watch has increased in the past few weeks, though cool temperatures this week should give us a reprieve. Listen to this podcast for a great analysis of the 1983 floods and how well Utah is prepared for this year. Even with this threat, we sti...

Spring weather has finally arrived in the state and with it welcome news of a healthy runoff. Interestingly, even before real runoff occurs, precipitation this year has already raised the elevation of the Great Salt Lake by over 3 feet from its historic l...

Our Utah weather seems more like an April Fools’ joke than actual spring. For now, it’s still good news, as we accomplish yet another significant water milestone: for the first time in three years, none of Utah is in extreme drought.

Over the weekend, this year became the wettest in Utah’s history (since we began measuring snow water equivalency), topping over 26 inches—with more on the way. This is causing some challenges, from flooding fears, to ranching woes, to a delayed opening f...

It may be spring, but we still have plenty of winter weather ahead of us this month. Check out this graph shared at Spring Runoff that shows how Utah’s snow water equivalent is outpacing our wettest historical winters. Click past years to see how 2023 is ...

Water holds the top newsmaker spot this week, as we continue to see significant winter precipitation. With the recent round of storms, every reporting area in Utah is above 125 percent of normal snow water equivalency.

The 2023 Utah Legislative Session has come to an end. All told, it was one of the most productive legislative sessions in memory. In addition to over $400 million allocated for water conservation, the legislature sent over 70 bills dealing with natural

We have almost made it. The 2023 Utah State Legislative Session is in its final week. Of note, several major pieces of legislation dealing with Great Salt Lake and major water legislation from Senator Sandall to help facilitate water markets remain in p

With two weeks left in the 2023 Utah Legislative Session, the final push is on for initiatives and funding proposals. Natural resource issues still are capturing tremendous interest and support.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to sit down with an investigative journalist from Norway to discuss the Great Salt Lake, the Colorado River, western agriculture, regional air quality, and a variety of other natural resource issues.

The major story of the week (besides the groundhog seeing its shadow—and predicting a welcome six more weeks of winter) is the negotiation on the Colorado River. Six states have agreed to a pathway forward on voluntary cutbacks. California is holding out ...

Happy Water Week! In case you haven’t heard, the Legislative Session is in full swing and leadership is focusing this week on all things water. At a press conference yesterday, legislators gathered to highlight this session’s focus on water legislation. O...

Governor Cox’s State of the State Address observed, “Even good jobs and good homes won’t mean much if we are not good stewards of this beautiful place we get to call home…We find ourselves in the greatest drought in the western United States in over 1,200...

The big news this week is water. After years of drought and subpar snowpack, the state received welcome news that all but one of the state’s reporting areas are above 150% of normal. Several areas are above 200% of normal for this time of year.

As we start the new year, we're excited to launch a weekly newsletter that will compile land, water, and air news from around Utah. You've received this first edition of the newsletter because of your position and your previous interest in these topics th...