Seven Central Utah Communities Build Water Action Plans at Utah Growing Water Smart Workshop

LOGAN, Utah — The Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air at Utah State University recently brought together teams from seven Central Utah communities to develop locally driven water action plans.

The effort was part of Utah Growing Water Smart, a program the institute helps facilitate under the guidance of the Utah Division of Water Resources.

This workshop was offered in partnership with the Center for Water Efficient Landscaping at USU, the Central Utah Water Conservancy District, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and the Utah League of Cities and Towns.

The participating communities — Alpine, Eagle Mountain, Highland, Lehi, Provo, Saratoga Springs, and Spanish Fork — each sent teams of planners, engineers, elected officials, utility managers, city managers, and other local leaders. Rather than attending presentations or leaving with a one-size-fits-all plan, each community spent three days working side by side with water experts to build its own roadmap for integrated land use and water planning.

The workshop spaces quickly filled with sticky notes, papers, and markers as each community worked through its priorities together. By the end of the workshop, each team left with an action plan that looks five years into the future for water use and availability in the context of increased population growth and demand.

“Every Utah community is different, so we don't hand communities a plan. We help them write their own,” said Anna McEntire, executive director of the institute. “The communities drive the process, and we give them sustained access to the expertise they need to get where they're going. They leave with an actionable plan that fits the needs of their community.”

Utah Growing Water Smart is designed as a cohort-based experience rather than a one-time workshop. The program begins with guided onboarding and a community self-assessment, centers on a multi-day retreat, and extends into the implementation phase with continued technical assistance, peer networking, reunions, and shared case studies.

“Our aim is for Utah Growing Water Smart to become a long-term feature of how Utah plans for its water future,” McEntire said, “so that every community, no matter its size or capacity, can plan for a secure, sustainable, and resilient water supply.”

Through the Utah Growing Water Smart program, the institute convenes the facilitators, experts, and agency partners to support each cohort and bring the program to various regions throughout the state. This past cohort marks the latest in the program's third phase, and more than two dozen communities have now gone through the program. Three additional cohorts are planned through 2028.

About the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air

The Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air at Utah State University connects decision-makers with high-quality research to support informed land, water, and air policy in Utah. Through applied research, public convening, and cross-sector collaboration, ILWA helps the state address complex natural resource challenges. Learn more at usu.edu/ilwa.