Land, Water & Air in the News

Logan River Golf Course | Aaron Fortin

Over the past year, the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air shared a broader picture of land, water, and air in Utah through our newsletter. Below is a list of the most-viewed stories from each edition of our weekly news round up, "This Week in Utah's Land, Water and Air."

2024

October 2

Why don’t we just fix the Colorado River crisis by piping in water from the East? (KUER)

October 10

‘Operation Gigawatt’ to boost Utah’s energy supply with nuclear, geothermal power (FOX 13)

October 16

House speaker to put a ‘pause’ on new water legislation in Utah (FOX 13)

October 23

Residents face unique issues in rural, remote region near Grand Staircase-Escalante (KSL News)

October 30

12 states get behind Utah’s lawsuit to take over millions of acres of federallycontrolled land (St. George News)

November 7

With Trump back in the White House, what will happen with Utah public lands? (The Salt Lake Tribune)

November 14

Navajo food traditions tap into the past, and future, of farming the arid Southwest (KSL News)

November 21

His retirement package involves helping save the earth (KSL News)

November 27

Don’t be a turkey and leave your bird to brine in the Great Salt Lake (FOX 13)

December 5

How does Utah’s air quality compare to the worst in the U.S.? (FOX 13)

December 11

Radio diaries: Poor indoor air quality? This Utah teen blames a popular breakfast food (Utah News Dispatch)

December 18

Groundbreaking at ‘The Point,’ a taxpayerfunded development project (FOX 13)

December 23

Dreaming of a white Christmas? There’s hope, depending on where you live (NPR)

2025

January 2

Meet the Utah town where electric bills can run $700 a month (FOX 13)

January 9

Can new sprinklers save the Colorado River? This Utah program could be a blueprint for the West (KUNC)

January 16

From blue powder to empty cigarette packs, vandalism is ‘nonstop’ at this Utah state park, workers say (The Salt Lake Tribune)

January 23

Salt Lake City’s cherished sycamore trees are dying. Here’s how the city is responding (KSL News)

January 30

Human composting bill returns, headed to Senate committee (KSL News)

February 6

Utah homeowners losing insurance in wake of California fires (FOX 13)

February 12

Utah’s top environment official to quit midlegislative session (The Salt Lake Tribune)

February 19

Utah’s most mysterious bird is best researched on Valentine’s Day. Here’s why. (UPR)

February 26

Fired federal workers include a Logan scientist securing America’s food system. (UPR)

March 5

Advisories issued for winter storm that will deliver ‘active’ start to Utah’s meteorological spring (KSL News)

March 12

What the Utah State Legislature did to your life (FOX 13)

March 20

150 years of change: How old photos of the Uinta Mountains, recaptured, reveal a shifting climate (The Salt Lake Tribune)

March 27

Cox criticizes ‘radical agenda of the extreme environmental movement’ after legal win (Utah News Dispatch)

April 2

Judge refuses Utah’s demand to dismiss lawsuit over the Great Salt Lake (FOX 13)

April 9

Utah had a ‘relatively quiet’ year of water lawmaking. Two of its most important lakes are still struggling. (The Salt Lake Tribune)

April 17

Utah is home to top 3 hiking trails in US, study shows (FOX 13)

April 23

Despite a history of controversy, Spencer Cox says this is the ‘trusted’ man who should lead a state department (The Salt Lake Tribune)

April 30

‘Our prayers were answered’: After 25 years of advocacy, a small Navajo community has water (Utah News Dispatch)

May 8

Toxic dust storm sweeps across Salt Lake Valley, hitting Utah’s most densely populated areas (ABC4)

May 15

The nation’s geothermal potential stalls in federal bureaucracy (Deseret News)

May 22

Great Salt Lake dust isn’t being measured accurately. Here’s what the state is doing about it. (The Salt Lake Tribune)

May 29

Utah will have a new nuclear reactor running by 2026, Gov. Cox and startup Valar Atomics announce (The Salt Lake Tribune)

June 5

Photo gallery: Salt Lake City students clean up waterway, enjoy a late May day (Deseret News)

June 11

Idaho-based energy company to bring ‘transformative’ nuclear reactor to Utah (KSL News)

June 19

Ted Cooke tapped to run Bureau of Reclamation, the fed’s key Colorado River job (KUER)

June 25

Forsyth Fire continues to spread, reaches nearly 9,000 acres, 5% contained (ABC4)

July 2

How much water are Utah’s agriculture optimization projects saving? (KSL News)

July 10

Utah now the only US state with unwanted drought situation (KSL News)

July 18

Utah ‘firenado’ with 122-mph winds leaves behind significant damage (FOX Weather)

July 23

Voices: Great Salt Lake is in crisis. One Utah project is making a real difference. (The Salt Lake Tribune)

July 30

Dog days of summer are howling! (FOX 13)

August 6

Why Utah Reps. Maloy, Owens say things are bad for US sheep industry (KSL News)

August 13

Lake Powell’s plunge toward ‘dead pool’ puts New Mexico reservoir in play (KUNM)

August 21

A wildly popular Utah lake faces an enemy it likely can’t beat (UPR)

August 29

A hiker died picking up this creature. What to do if you encounter one. (KSL News)

September 5

Mudslide, cleanup at Provo church could take months, forcing wards to relocate (KUTV)

September 10

Utah’s most snake-filled lakes are not for the faint of heart. (Islands.com)

September 18

Weather experts still working to determine strength of tornadoes that destroyed homes in southern Utah (FOX 13)