There is only one week left in the 2026 Legislative Session! Thank you for all your help—you have lobbied, rallied, talked to your legislators, and made a difference for Great Salt Lake!
Here’s an overview of where we stand:
The Good:
- Key water market reforms have passed the House, received favorable recommendations out of the Senate committee, and are up for a Senate floor vote next week.
- An important municipal conservation bill that restricts overhead irrigation for certain new development/redevelopment has passed the House, but is still awaiting action in the Senate.
- Priority Action: Reach out to your Senators in support of HB 328!
- HB 296, which allows municipalities to commit water to Great Salt Lake in their state-mandated conservation plans, passed both chambers.
- SB 46, which limits non-functional turf and requires water-wise landscaping and outdoor water-use reductions at new or renovated state government facilities, passed both chambers.
- HB 93, which creates the Goshen Bay Waterfowl Management Area, passed both chambers.
The Not-So-Good:
- HB 60 passed out of both chambers and now awaits Governor Cox’s signature. We have concerns about how HB 60 could reduce meaningful public oversight of water rights decisions by limiting due process,judicial review, and the ability for the public to use the courts in water rights adjudication. But, narrowing the public welfare will not directly harm Great Salt Lake. Why?
- The state engineer may still consider the quantity and quality of water flowing to sovereign lands, including the lake.
- In practice, the state engineer’s use of the public welfare requirement as a basis for accepting or rejecting applications is rare.
- The Great Salt Lake Basin is already fully appropriated, meaning this bill will only affect change applications moving forward.
- A favorable bill (SB 250) that reallocates $200 million from WIRA to the Great Salt Lake Account is stuck in Senate Committee. This bill would have provided critical funding without placing an additional tax-burden on Utahns. Unfortunately, the likelihood of this bill passing this late in the session is very low.
- Important municipal conservation measures are stuck in House Committee.
Requests for Appropriation (RFAs) with Direct Benefits for GSL:
- Great Salt Lake Long Term Water Program: $5 million funding request to build a functioning water market for leasing water and making investments in infrastructure. Adequate, ongoing funding provides water users certainty that dollars will be available to lease water well into the future.
- Utah Lake Enhancement: $11 million funding request to begin implementing Utah Lake improvement efforts to resolve invasive carp, wind and wave-driven sediment resuspension, excessive nutrients, and large, unnatural water-level fluctuations.
- Great Salt Lake Water Rights Acquisition: $40 million to acquire US Magnesium, providing a net benefit of 40-60,000 acre-feet of new water for Great Salt Lake annually. This funding, from DNR’s base budget, is already confirmed.
RFAs with Indirect or Unclear Implications for GSL:
Augmentation-Focused Proposals:
- Great Salt Lake Cloud Seeding Program: $4.08 million funding request to reauthorize the Bear River Basin Drone-based Cloud Seeding Pilot Program funded in the 2025 legislative session.
- Great Salt Lake Aquifer Restoration: $2.5 million funding request to extract saline water from deep aquifers, recover valuable minerals, and reinject purified water to augment flows to Great Salt Lake.
Real progress will come from scaling proven conservation strategies that restore natural inflows to the lake, not from unproven augmentation projects that attempt to engineer around the consequences of overuse. According to a recent study from the University of Utah, restoring the lake to a healthy level is the most cost efficient and environmentally sustainable way to mitigate dust.
Research, Capacity, and Grants:
- Building Utah’s Water Network: $1 million ongoing funding request to allow Utah State University to hire additional faculty with a focus on water research and monitoring capacity.
- Bear River Agricultural Education and Research Center: $300,000 funding request for Bear River Bay watershed research.
- River Restoration Amendments: $2 million funding request to match grants to local governments for public safety and access to recreation on the Jordan River.
Read more about the bills mentioned above and other important legislation:
Support – High Priority
HB 348: Dedicated Water Amendments (Rep. Jill Koford)
Clarifies and strengthens the “dedicated water” process and related instream flow steps, with additional reporting/accountability tools. (Status: Awaiting Senate floor vote)
- Background: To lease or donate water to Great Salt Lake, a Utah water rights holder must file a change application with the State Engineer to convert their right to an instream flow, which allows the water to remain in the river system instead of being diverted for a consumptive use. Currently, this process requires time-intensive permitting and costly legal hours making leasing or selling water to Great Salt Lake inaccessible to the average water user.
- What HB 348 Does: HB 348 creates a new type of application—a Dedicated Water Application—that allows a water rights holder to dedicate some of their water to 1) an instream flow 2) sovereign lands or 3) certain reservoir deliveries without permanently changing their underlying water right. Importantly, this bill directs the State Engineer to prioritize processing these applications and authorizes the state engineer to require reporting in order to track and verify dedicated water. There are guardrails to limit how often the same agricultural field can be removed from a full-irrigation season.
- Why it’s Important: This bill creates a more flexible, streamlined pathway for voluntary water donations (including temporary, fixed-time, or split-season leasing). It helps improve one of Utah’s biggest structural bottlenecks in restoring water to Great Salt Lake.
HB 410: Water Leasing Amendments (Rep. Jill Koford)
Creates GSL Preservation Program and appropriates $5M in FY2027 to run. (Status: Awaiting Senate Floor vote))
- Background: Currently, leasing water to Great Salt Lake is difficult to scale. Most leases require a time-intensive, case-by-case approval process. Even when leases are approved, there are also concerns about whether that donated water will make it to Great Salt Lake. These barriers make leasing inaccessible or unattractive for many water users.
- What HB 410 Does: HB 410 creates a new Great Salt Lake Preservation Program, associated board, and a $5M appropriation that would provide a standardized, state-run pathway to lease water for the benefit of Great Salt Lake. The program would set lease rates, accept and rank applications, award leases, streamline applications, and require measuring, monitoring, and reporting.
- Why It’s important: This program makes it easier to lease water at scale, and ensure leased water is tracked and delivered to Great Salt Lake. It also allows for private donation of funds, providing an impactful avenue for philanthropy to support water leasing efforts.
HB 328: Water Usage Modifications (Rep. Clinton Okerlund)
Restricts overhead irrigation for certain new development/redevelopment (with exceptions), helping reduce outdoor water waste. (Status: Passed House, awaiting action in Senate)
- Background: One of the biggest sources of avoidable outdoor urban water waste is overhead spray irrigation (like sprinklers) used on turf that isn’t meant for active use (like strips of grass, parking lot islands, or fenced off areas).
- What HB 328 Does: HB 328 restricts the use of overhead spray irrigation on nonfunctional turf for certain new development and major redevelopment projects within the Great Salt Lake drainage. Starting January 1, 2027, owners of specified properties (like commercial, institutional, mixed-use, multifamily projects, and common area landscaping in HOAs) generally cannot install or use overhead sprinklers to irrigate turf that is primarily decorative rather than actively used. Single-family homes, agricultural land, schools, state/local government grounds, and certain other categories are exempt.
- Why It’s Important: This bill helps reduce long-term water waste and makes sure future growth is water-smart.
HB 155: Water Rates Amendments (Rep. Doug Owens)
Requires utilities to create three tiers for residential water pricing, which awards low water use and creates a market signal for excessive outdoor use by increasing the price per gallon. (Status: House 1st Reading)
- Background: The vast majority of Utah’s urban water usage—96% of all depletions— comes from outdoor watering for lawns and landscaping. One of the easiest ways cities can reduce waste is through water pricing that rewards efficient use and makes very high water consumption more expensive. Some cities already use tiered rates, but the structure and conservation incentives aren’t consistent across the state.
- What HB 155 Does: HB 155 strengthens Utah’s rules for how water providers set residential water rates by requiring tiered pricing, also called “block rates.” By July 1, 2027, retail water providers that supply outdoor water must have at least three tiers for residential customers: normal indoor use, reasonable indoor and outdoor use, and excessive use. This bill incentivizes those who use the most water to cut back by requiring rates to reflect “a clear price signal or financial incentive to a customer to consider reducing” water use.
- Why It’s Important: According to the 2026 GSL Strike Team Report,Municipal & Industrial use accounts for 26.3% of the diverted water in the Great Salt Lake Basin, a higher percentage than previously estimated. Cutting back on urban outdoor water usage is key to restoring Great Salt Lake.
Stalled: SB 250: Great Salt Lake Amendments (Sen. Nate Blouin)
Transfers money from the Watershed Infrastructure Restricted Account (WIRA) to the Great Salt Lake Fund for the purposes of acquiring water through leasing and purchasing for Great Salt Lake. (Status: Held in Committee)
- Background: WIRA is currently earmarked for major developments like the Bear River Development—a multi-billion dollar project that would divert 220,000 acre-feet of water away from Great Salt Lake annually.
- What SB 250 Does: Reallocates $200 million from WIRA to the Great Salt Lake Account. Appropriates $1.5 million from the General Fund to the Great Salt Lake Commissioner’s Office and requires that these funds be used for leasing or acquisition of water rights for inflow to Great Salt Lake.
- Why It’s Important: Moving funds from WIRA to the Great Salt Lake would have dual benefits: reduce funding for harmful development projects and ensure dedicated funding is available to secure water for Great Salt Lake through leases and acquisitions. This bill demonstrates that funding exists to meet the scale of the Great Salt Lake crisis—it is a question of how those resources are prioritized.
Other Bills We Support
HB 400: Landscaping Water Amendments (Rep. Doug Owens)
Requires cities and counties in the Great Salt Lake basin to mandate water-efficient landscaping in new development by Nov. 1, 2027. (Status: House 3rd Reading)
HB 247:Great Salt Lake Funding Amendments (Rep. Raymond Ward)
Directs brine shrimp tax revenue into an account dedicated to Great Salt Lake benefits. (Status: Passed House, awaiting Senate vote)
Passed: HB 509: Wetlands Modifications (Rep. Doug Owens)
Requires the Utah Department of Natural Resources to complete a study of the status of wetlands in Utah and recommend actions to mitigate wetland loss and improve wetland health before Oct. 30, 2027. (Status: Passed House, in Senate Rules Committee)
Passed: HB 296: Water Commitment Amendments (Rep. Hoang Nguyen)
Allows municipalities to commit water to Great Salt Lake in their state-mandated conservation plans. This could create an opportunity for cities to lease or donate surplus water to the lake instead of storing it in reservoirs for future use. (Status: Passed both chambers, awaiting governor’s signature)
HB 489: Water Infrastructure Amendments (Rep. Thomas Peterson)
Attempts to reduce permanent stormwater capture and require faster downstream release to keep more water moving through the Great Salt Lake watershed. (Status: Passed House, awaiting action in Senate)
Stalled: HB 490: Water Optimization Reporting Amendments (Rep. Doug Owens)
Requires the state to study how much water is classified as agricultural use and whether any of that water is being used for non-agricultural purposes by Nov. 30, 2026. (Status: Held in House Committee)
Passed: SB 46: Water Wise Landscaping Amendments (Sen. Keven Stratton)
Limits non-functional turf and requires water-wise landscaping and outdoor water-use reductions at new or renovated state government facilities. (Passed both chambers, awaiting governor’s signature)
SB 252: Water Usage at State-owned Facilities Amendments (Sen. Stephanie Pitcher)
Requires irrigation audits, efficiency standards, and low-water landscaping practices at state government facilities to reduce outdoor water use. (Status: Senate 2nd Reading)
HB 76: Data Center Water Policy Amendments (Rep. Jill Koford)
Requires large data centers to coordinate with water providers and report water-related information before construction and annually. (Status: Senate NRAE Committee)
SB 130: River Restoration Amendments (Sen. Lincoln Fillmore)
Expands and coordinates Jordan River improvement work, creates matching grants to improve recreation access along the river, and requests $2M in one-time funds for Jordan River restoration efforts. (Status: Passed Senate, in House Committee)
Passed: HB 93: Goshen Bay Waterfowl Management Area (Rep. Doug Welton)
Creates the Goshen Bay Waterfowl Management Area. (Status: Passed both chambers, awaiting governor’s signature)
HB 313: Landscaper Certification Amendments (Rep. John Arthur)
Requires licensed landscapers to complete continuing education that includes water-conservation topics (like drought-tolerant plants, soil water retention) and fire-mitigation techniques. (Status: Passed House, Senate 1st Reading)
Bills we Oppose:
Passed: HB 60: Water Rights Amendments (Rep. David Shallenberger)
Changes how the State Engineer evaluates water-rights applications and protests. (Status: Passed legislature, awaits governor’s signature)
- Background: Under current law, the State Engineer reviews permits for new water rights (applications to appropriate water) and changes to existing water rights (change applications). The State Engineer can deny a water right or change application if it is detrimental to the public welfare—which allows the State Engineer to consider impacts like public safety, public access, large community impacts, harm to the public’s environment, or conflicts with bigger public priorities. Even if a proposal does not directly impair another person’s water rights, it still might cause broader harm—like shrinking wetlands, more dust exposure, and public health risks.
- Under current law, anyone can file protests and raise concerns about a water right or change application.
- What HB 60 Does:
- Narrows “Public Welfare”: Limits what the State Engineer can consider as “public welfare” to beneficial use and quantity, quality, or availability of water, reducing the State Engineer’s ability to consider broader community harms like public health, environmental collapse, or downstream consequences.
- In Practice: While the State Engineer may not rely on the public welfare standard frequently in practice today, we oppose narrowing a safeguard that communities should be able to rely on as Utah’s water challenges grow.
- Limits Protests: Directs the State Engineer to only consider protests to the extent that they match the legal grounds the State Engineer may use to approve or deny an application.
- In Practice: This may streamline the process by narrowing protests to issues the State Engineer can act on, but it could also make it harder for the public—especially people without water rights—to raise broader public-interest concerns during the permitting process.
- Makes Court Challenges Harder: Narrows who is considered an “aggrieved person” for the purposes of judicial review, limiting court challenges to those who have experienced a direct, personal harm.
- In Practice: Courts already require “standing” (a particularized injury) to sue. HB 60 further narrows this standard, which may reduce lawsuits from people with no direct stake in a water right decision—but could also limit public accountability when harm is cumulative and widely shared.
- Narrows “Public Welfare”: Limits what the State Engineer can consider as “public welfare” to beneficial use and quantity, quality, or availability of water, reducing the State Engineer’s ability to consider broader community harms like public health, environmental collapse, or downstream consequences.
Stalled: SB 198: Water Project Management Amendments (Sen. Scott Sandall)
Creates the Office of Water Management within the Division of Water Resources to assist in managing water projects within the state. This office will also oversee WIRA funds. (Status: Held in Senate Committee)
We oppose this bill because of the sweeping changes it makes to the current processes in place on how we manage water as a state. The bill gives the office the authority to serve as a retail water provider and purchase shares into irrigation companies, which is a clear demonstration of government overreach and control of processes currently managed by the private sector.
HB 349: Statewide Water Shortage (Walt Brooks)
Establishes a process for using funds from the Water Infrastructure Restricted Account to construct dams and reservoirs and to fund other projects that increase water storage in the state. (Status: Passed House, Senate 1st Reading)
We oppose this bill because its impact is ambiguous. It could be used to fund infrastructure projects—such as the Bear River Development—that are detrimental to Great Salt Lake by storing water upstream that would otherwise flow to the Lake.
SB 234: Rulemaking Amendments (Sen. Brady Brammer)
Makes it more difficult for Utah state agencies to adopt environmental regulations that are stricter than federal standards. It also increases legislative authority to delay or prevent those rules from taking effect. (Status: Passed Senate, House 1st Reading)
We oppose this bill because it could limit Utah’s ability to adopt stronger environmental protections needed to respond to unique challenges like toxic Great Salt Lake dust.
