The institute has partnered with the Salt Lake Chamber to provide Utah’s business community with clear, credible, and science-based insights on the state's most pressing natural resource issues. One facet of this partnership evolves the Chamber's Sustainability Stories series into a practical resource hub, reframing complex environmental data into actionable, business-friendly concepts.
By better understanding natural resource issues, Utah business leaders can better navigate risks, improve efficiency, and make informed strategic decisions to ensure a resilient and prosperous community.
Resources
Utah’s water supply works much like a system of accounts. How we manage our accounts and budget our water spending becomes even more critical during periods of extended drought.
Utah water managers measure snowpack in dozens of locations around the state with SNOTEL monitors. They are measuring Snow-Water-Equivalent (SWE), the amount of liquid water contained in all the snow that has fallen during winter. These measurements are used to predict how much water will reach our water systems once the snow melts.
Runoff—fed largely by snowmelt and groundwater—replenishes Utah’s reservoirs. Across the state, 171 stream gauges measure water depth and flow rate (water volume over time) in rivers and streams. Of those, 18 are currently flagged as extreme, meaning they are measuring below the lowest level ever recorded at that location.
