2026 Water Bills to Be Signed by Gov. Cox at Spring Runoff Conference

Utah State University and the Cache Water District will host the 2026 Northern Utah Water Users-Spring Runoff Conference on March 24-25 in Logan.

The annual conference is a two-day interdisciplinary event that brings together researchers, agricultural irrigators, policymakers, students and community partners to explore current and emerging water challenges facing northern Utah. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, USU President Brad Mortensen, former Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton, and many Utah legislators and officials will participate.

On Tuesday morning, Cox will sign multiple water bills passed during the 2026 Utah General Legislative Session, and legislators will provide analyses on the impact of those bills.

"Spring Runoff is a valuable opportunity to hear the latest research and insights from across Utah's water community," said Brian Steed, executive director of the Janet Quinney Institute for Land, Water and Air at USU. "The conference creates a space where research, policy and practice can inform one another in meaningful ways."

The conference features invited speakers, student presentations and opportunities for networking and collaboration, with topics spanning water-related science, management, engineering, ecosystems and governance.

"We encourage research from across disciplines," said Clare Entwistle, assistant professor in the Department of Watershed Sciences at Utah State University. "This forum allows researchers to engage with colleagues beyond their field and explore how their work fits into the larger water picture in northern Utah."

This year's conference is organized in partnership with Cache Water District, USU Extension, the Utah Water Research Laboratory, USU Watershed Sciences, USU

College of Arts and Sciences, and the USU Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air.

To register, visit https://usu.edu/water/conference. Registration is free but required and will remain open until March 23.