November 5, 2024

During my daily drive home this summer, I came to appreciate the beauty of a brown lawn. I can’t say they look better than green grass, but a dry lawn is a symbol of a community that realizes the challenge we face and is more than willing to do what it takes to make every drop can be counted

Just a year ago, few Utahns cared much about the state of the Great Salt Lake and calls to curb water use were largely ignored. On the contrary, today there is a broad consensus that a shrinking lake poses a real threat to our health and our economy and, moreover, conserving water is the cool thing to do.

Without continued efforts, the drying up of the Great Salt Lake threatens our environment and our economy. The loss of lake effect snow will reduce the snowpack by 27-45 inches, further stressing a drought-stressed water supply that should provide the lifeblood of a growing population, a thriving economy and local agriculture. Even the dry lakebed itself presents a health crisis for the entire Wasatch Front, as large hot spots of toxic chemical dust are exposed and transported by our largest population.

Utahns are doing what residents of our great state have always done, meeting challenges with innovation, organization and a good old-fashioned willingness to work for the common good. This year alone, Utahns conserved 9 billion gallons or 28,000 acre feet — that’s half the size of Rockport Reservoir. This is an encouraging trend and one we must continue as the drought continues.

As policymakers, we are also determined to learn from the successes and mistakes of those facing similar challenges — from warnings about California’s mismanagement of Owens Lake to successful water policies in countries like Israel. These case studies help shape smart policy to match our newfound resolve.

As we worked to address the challenges of the Great Salt Lake last year, I began to see the lake as a symbol of a broader, systemic problem with the way our state’s water is managed.

During the 2022 legislative session, state leadership passed legislation that addresses key areas of our water problem. The Legislature provides incentives for drought resistant landscaping and agricultural conservation and optimization. We’re doing away with antiquated “use it or lose it” systems in favor of voluntary, free market conservation efforts. The Legislature appropriated funds to assess the quality and quantity of available water resources, and passed legislation to drive revenue from the Great Salt Lake, back into the Lake. The Legislature also created the Water Trust, which provides $40 million to increase flows to the Great Salt Lake, replenish watersheds and acquire water rights.

While good legislation is an important part of the solution, we also need to strengthen relationships and communication between change makers at every level. On October 13, I hosted the second annual Great Salt Lake Summit, which brought together our brightest minds and leading experts to find solutions for better water management in general, and actionable ideas for reviving our dying Lake. To ensure that this is a “do something” summit, I announced my intention to run legislation to establish a statewide, nonprofit, public-private partnership, Utah Water Ways, to create the next levels of public education, programming and policy discussions about Utah’s water supply.

Utah Water Ways will provide effective tools to help Utahns understand why we need to conserve and how to be conscious consumers of water. The partnership will strengthen the connection between water providers and their local users allowing us to leverage the experience of a wide range of stakeholders including state and local government agencies, water suppliers, agriculture, business and environmental advocacy groups.

In addressing policy, Utah Water Ways will establish a direct line of communication between stakeholders and state leaders, informing legislative decisions and representing the diverse interests of all parties. Utah Water Ways is focused on the idea that it takes each of us and all of us to turn the tide of our water crisis.

Our lawns look better, but Utahns’ spirit of teamwork is stronger than ever. Our success requires more than a momentary interest, it requires sustained effort and real commitment as we reimagine and rebuild an efficient, drought-resilient water management system for our beautiful state.

Brad Wilson is the speaker of the Utah House of Representatives.

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