The 2025 Utah state legislative session is drawing to a close. Great Salt Lake is still far from being saved, but some progress has been made. Since our first legislative update, some bills relating to Great Salt Lake have passed, some are still expected to pass before the end of the session, and others have failed. Although this year’s legislative session proved less aggressive in taking action to save Great Salt Lake than in recent years, progress has been made—and when it comes to saving Great Salt Lake, even small victories should be celebrated. We have already begun to turn our attention to the interim and the 2026 legislative session, where we hope to see even more substantial progress in rescuing the lake.
In the sections below, we note new bills since our last update and include status updates on each bill and request for appropriation. In part I, we highlight what we consider the three most important matters still before the legislature during the 2025 session. In part II, we provide a more detailed description of the bills that we are currently watching. In part III, we provide a summary of the budget requests that could have an impact on the lake. Finally, in part IV, we offer an overview of the legislative session thus far. After we conclude, we provide a brief appendix that provides some background on Utah’s somewhat unique legislative process.
I. Three most important remaining priorities
Below are three critical legislative priorities that would significantly advance Great Salt Lake restoration efforts. See parts II and III for detailed discussions of each item.
- Addressing Critical Dust Concerns (RFA) (Rep. Doug Owens): This request for appropriation aims to better understand the pressing issue of dust pollution from the exposed lake beds of Great Salt Lake and Sevier Lake, which significantly impacts Utah communities. This request seeks funding to create ongoing research on dust composition and the health and air quality impacts of these exposed lake beds, including the health impacts of a “changing Great Salt Lake.” This funding represents an essential public health investment that deserves prioritization.As Great Salt Lake continues to decline, the exposed lakebed creates increasing dust emissions that threaten communities throughout the Wasatch Front. We currently lack crucial data on the composition, concentration, and health impacts of these dust sources. Given that over 80% of Utah’s population lives within the airshed affected by Great Salt Lake dust, the modest investment of $651,100 would provide invaluable information to guide policy changes before worst-case exposure scenarios materialize.
- Great Salt Lake Long-Term Water Program (RFA): We applaud the legislature’s commitment to Great Salt Lake by already allocating $1 million to the long-term water program. While $1 million has been allocated, the original request was for a $16 million one-time appropriation seeking funding to lease water and invest in infrastructure to stabilize the lake elevation at 4,195 feet. Rather than top-down regulation, the program supports voluntary, market-based water conservation efforts. These state funds will be matched by federal and private funds. Thus, each dollar invested leverages additional contributors, multiplying the impact of state resources. Should additional funding beyond the initial $1 million allocation become available, expanded funding for the program could secure more voluntary, market-based water leases, currently the most adaptable approach to increasing lake levels. This program respects water rights while creating pathways for more water to reach the lake.
- B. 446 Great Salt Lake Amendments (sponsored by Rep. Jill Koford): This bill strengthens efforts to protect and restore Great Salt Lake by expanding the commissioner’s role in water management and conservation. We hope this bill passes the Senate this week, which is the final step before being sent to the governor to be signed into law. This legislation is vital because it streamlines the commissioner’s ability to secure water for the lake through market mechanisms while maintaining appropriate oversight and coordination. Its passage would significantly enhance Utah’s capacity to implement practical solutions for maintaining lake levels. This bill passed the House and received a favorable recommendation from the Senate Natural Resources, Agricultural, and Environment Committee on March 4, 2025, and awaits a final vote in the Senate.
II. Bills we are watching
House bills with positive impacts on Great Salt Lake
H.B. 41: State Water Policy Amendments (sponsored by Rep. Carl Albrecht): This bill adds additional considerations to the state’s water policy. Under the amendment, Utah will promote:
- groundwater quality;
- a study of saved water;
- the monitoring of activities in watersheds that provide water to drinking water systems;
- state water planning; and
- water reuse in appropriate regions.
Notably, the second version of the bill did away with the removal of the language of “balancing economic, social, and environmental needs” in water policy decisions, language that was of some concern to some environmental groups.
Status: Signed by the governor
H.B. 45: Irrigation Amendments (sponsored Rep. Rex P. Shipp): This bill assigns liability to owners or operators of ditches and canals if their failure to “exercise reasonable and ordinary care in maintaining the ditch or canal” results in property damage or injury to others. A second version of this bill removed the originally proposed provision that provided additional penalties for resultant water waste.
Status: Stalled in House, unlikely to make it across the line.
H.B. 243: Agriculture Water Optimization Amendments (sponsored by Rep. David Shallenberger): This bill allows funds from the Agricultural Water Optimization Account to be directed toward research approved by the Agricultural Water Optimization Committee relating to issues surrounding:
- farm economics;
- optimization of agricultural water use; or
- to establish methods for measuring saved water or the effectiveness of the agricultural water optimization funding programs.
This bill also changes the eligibility requirements for grants, requiring a match of 25% of total costs for subsurface drip irrigation projects, automated surge irrigation projects; or measurement, telemetry, or reporting projects. We note that as the state attempts to optimize agricultural water use, the state needs the ability to better understand the impacts of optimization. For example, well-intentioned optimization projects may sometimes not result in increased water for Great Salt Lake (or other water bodies like the Colorado River), as saved water could be used to expand production or grow more water-intensive crops. It may also be the case that more efficient technologies can increase depletion and decrease agricultural return flows.
This bill could be strengthened significantly in terms of getting more water to Great Salt Lake. The bill could include explicit language to dedicate some or all of the saved water associated with state-funded agricultural optimization to specific conservation purposes, such as Great Salt Lake.
Status: Passed House; received a favorable recommendation from the Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee; on second reading calendar with Senate.
H.B. 244: Wildlife Management Area Amendments (sponsored by Rep. Casey Snider): This bill includes multiple proposals, some of which would have a positive impact on Great Salt Lake, and some that would have a negative impact on Great Salt Lake. Overall, the positives outweigh the negatives, and this bill is worthy of support.
In terms of positive impact, the bill directs the Wildlife Board to create the Bear River Bay Waterfowl Management Area on state-owned lands below the 1855 meander line of the Great Salt Lake in Bear River Bay or as mutually determined by the Wildlife Board and Division of Forest, Fire, and State Lands—protecting over 13,000 acres for the benefit of wildlife, wetlands and recreationalists.
This new waterfowl management area would provide additional habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl throughout the year, thus supporting the Pacific flyway, reducing the spread of avian disease, and benefiting Great Salt Lake’s wetland ecosystems.
In terms of potential negative impacts, the bill eliminates the prohibition of two things in the Willard Spur Waterfowl Management Area:
- construction or use of impoundment structures (it also creates a council to approve or deny the construction of new flow structures); and
- limitation on boats or watercraft access for periods to protect habitat, nesting birds, or vulnerable wildlife.A second version of the bill still permits the construction of an impoundment structure but creates an advisory board that must first be consulted regarding the construction.
Status: Passed House; received a favorable recommendation from the Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee; on second reading calendar with Senate.
H.B. 274: Water Amendments (sponsored by Rep. Casey Snider): This bill creates numerous requirements and allowances for water suppliers regarding water pricing as well as a change to the Board of Water Resources appointed by the governor.
- Culinary water: This bill mandates that water suppliers “consider water conservation in setting water rates with the goal of encouraging efficient water use and eliminating wasteful or excessive use” and establish a water rate structure that “includes water conservation as an element in determining the rate charged for at least the highest usage block unit of water for a customer classification that primarily serves residential customers” by July 1, 2027. It also allows for water conservation as an element of setting any block unit rate for any customer. The revenue collected from these rates designed to encourage water conservation must be used to fund other water conservation efforts.
- Secondary water: This bill mandates that secondary water suppliers use tiered conservation rate structures on contracts on or after July 1, 2025, and requires such contracts by April 1, 2030. This bill also requires that secondary water suppliers provide an educational component to all end-users with information on the end-user’s usage by April 1, 2030. Violators of these provisions will lose state funding and be subject to an enforcement action by the state engineer. These changes to secondary water pricing will likely have a measurable impact on Great Salt Lake. Unlike reduction in culinary water use, reducing secondary water use increases the availability of water that would otherwise not flow to the lake.
- Board of Water Resources: While the overall impact of the bill would have a positive impact on Great Salt Lake, it is important to note that this bill eliminates language requiring that no more than five members on the board of nine may be from the same political party.
Status: Passed House; received a favorable recommendation from the Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee; on second reading calendar with Senate.
H.B. 318: Residential Turf Amendments (sponsored by Rep. Doug Owens): This bill places restrictions on the use of residential lawns or turf for newly constructed single-family detached dwellings located in the Great Salt Lake Basin. Specifically, the bill requires that lawn or turf shall not exceed “600 square feet for a lot size less than 4,000 square feet, the lesser of 15% of the lot’s square footage or 2,500 square feet.” The bill also prohibits lawn or turf in a landscaped area that is less than eight feet in any dimension, park strips, or on slopes greater than 25%.
Status: Stalled in House, unlikely to pass. We hope to see a bill like this one brought up over the interim or during the next legislative session.
H.B. 328: Water Usage Amendments (sponsored by Rep. Doug Owens): This bill would require municipalities to prohibit the use of overhead spray irrigation except in:
- outdoor activity areas (outdoor activity area is defined in the bill as “landscape area that is: dedicated to active use; and installed or maintained on an area with a slope of not more than 25%”) or
- undisturbed areas (undisturbed areas are defined in the bill as “portion of the landscaped area with existing overhead spray irrigation installed at least two years before the new development or redevelopment of the specified land; and that is undisturbed by the new development or redevelopment”)
Note: Overhead irrigation may not be used in park strips, areas with a width of less than eight feet, and planting beds within outdoor activity areas and undisturbed areas.
Municipalities shall deny land-use applications if users do not comply with the above requirements, inspect, and address noncompliance. The bill does not prohibit owners from using water to spray for non-irrigation purposes such as dust control. This bill would promote drip irrigation, delivering water to plant roots, thereby reducing water loss to evaporation.
Status: This bill failed in the House with a close vote after a favorable recommendation by the House Political Subdivisions Committee. This failure to pass is disappointing, and we hope to see something similar proposed next year.
H.B. 330: Water Sprinkler Efficiency Requirements (sponsored by Rep. Doug Owens): This bill would require that all sprinkler heads purchased after July 1, 2026, include an integral pressure regulator or meet WaterSense standards adopted by the EPA. Enforcement is delegated to the Utah attorney general, and a progressive fine schedule is also outlined in the bill. This bill reduces water waste without much effort or behavior change by consumers.
Status: Stalled in House, unlikely to pass. This failure to pass is disappointing, and we hope to see something similar proposed next year or in an interim session.
H.B. 446 Great Salt Lake Amendments (sponsored by Rep. Jill Koford): The bill gives the commissioner power to negotiate agreements, leases, or other means to acquire or lease water or water rights for the Great Salt Lake pursuant to the procurement exemption. However, when leasing agricultural water, the bill requires that the commissioner first consult with the commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Food.
This bill also exempts the acquisition or lease of water or water rights for Great Salt Lake from the government procurement contract procedure. It mandates the Great Salt Lake commissioner to consult on state-funded projects designed to acquire or lease water or water rights for the Great Salt Lake.
Additionally, the bill requires a comprehensive management plan for the lake consistent with the Commissioner’s Great Salt Lake Strategic Plan.
Status: Passed House; currently in Senate, and has been recommended by its Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee.
H.B. 536 Water Usage Notification Amendments (sponsored by Rep. Doug Owens): This is a new bill since our last update. It requires water suppliers to measure and record water usage by the end-user, then subsequently notify the end-user if their water use “significantly escalates during a month.” This requirement applies to both secondary and culinary water. The bill instructs the Division of Water Resources to initiate rulemaking to define “significantly escalates” and outline best practices in measuring when usage during a month significantly escalates.
This bill could have a measurable impact on the lake in providing social pressure to reduce water consumption. If homeowners are made aware of their escalated water use, they may reduce their consumption in response. While the bill’s current notification approach is valuable, its effectiveness could be enhanced by implementing presenting household water usage alongside community or anonymized neighbor averages to reduce consumption.
Status: The House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee declined to consider this bill. This means the bill will not pass this session.
H.B. 546 Water Infrastructure Amendments (sponsored by Rep. Thomas W. Peterson): This is a new bill since our last update. It would require the Division of Water Quality to study stormwater management in the Great Salt Lake Basin. The study would focus on maximizing the amount of stormwater reaching Great Salt Lake, among other aims. The bill would also create the Stormwater Improvements Fund to upgrade stormwater infrastructure to maintain or improve flood control, protect water quality, and prevent erosion. This bill represents a targeted approach to addressing one component of the complex water challenges in the Great Salt Lake Basin.
Status: Introduced in House.
House bills that will have a neutral or unclear impact on Great Salt Lake
H.B. 285: Water Infrastructure Modifications (sponsored by Rep. Casey Snider): This bill builds on and amends Rep. Snider’s Water Related Changes bill (H.B. 280) from last session. H.B. 285 requires a certain amount of excess funds to be transferred from various programs to the Water Infrastructure Fund (WIF), including (1) the Water Quality Security Utah Wastewater Loan Program subaccount, (2) the Drinking Water Security Drinking Water Loan Program subaccount, and (3) the Water Resources Conservation and Development Fund. H.B. 285 also requires a public water system (that is not a water conservancy district) to develop a capital-asset management plan by July 1, 2028, as a condition to receiving state and federal funding. This bill is in many ways a housekeeping bill that provides additional clarity for those in government and praiseworthy on that account, but it is listed as neutral because it seems unlikely to have much of an impact on the future of the lake.
Status: Passed House and Senate, waiting on the Governor’s signature.
H.B. 304: Livestock Watering Modifications (sponsored by Rep. Scott Chew): This bill gives the state engineer authority to issue private livestock watering-use certificates.
Status: Stalled in House, unlikely to pass.
H.B. 311: Watershed Amendments (sponsored by Rep. Casey Snider): The bill, as originally filed with the legislature, broadened the state engineer’s power to prevent waste, pollution, or contamination of water by requiring operators of hydroelectric facilities to repair or undergo construction to prevent water waste. Since the first filing, this bill has been replaced with a substitute bill that, in many ways, departs significantly from the bill originally filed and now mainly provides a pathway for those managing water projects to secure and build infrastructure for undetermined purposes. Part of the challenge with the bill as it is currently drafted is the breadth of key terms. It is unclear whether this bill would provide, for example, a mechanism for the state to secure additional water for the Bear River—the major source of water for Great Salt Lake—and the Colorado River for Utah or if, on the other hand, the bill provides a new mechanism to make progress on water development projects—like damming of the Bear River—that could have significant negative impacts on Great Salt Lake.
While the language of the bill is currently unclear, a great deal could be done to strengthen this bill by merely narrowing the scope of the bill’s ambiguity by more fully refining key terms of the bill, such as what is meant by an “augmentation project.”
Status: Passed House; received a favorable recommendation from the Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee; on second reading calendar with Senate.
H.B. 478: Brine Mining Amendments (sponsored by Rep. Bridger Bolinder): This bill provides a robust set of rules governing those who would seek to mine brine from deep aquifers in the state—most likely as a way to develop lithium. It provides significant new authorities for the state, demands royalty payments provided to the state, and gives potential mine operators much-needed clarity about the rules that the state will impose. While this law provides a new regulatory scheme, the aquifers that are most attractive sit outside Great Salt Lake Basin. Omitted from the bill are a number of important water quality concerns that might arise from such a development near other water bodies. Significantly, projects in the beginning phases and foreseeable future are near the Colorado River.
While this bill might have important environmental impacts that are likely to generate significant debates during this session, we list this bill as neutral since these operations are not likely to impact Great Salt Lake. We also note that while lithium mining on the lake itself provides both significant challenges and opportunities, this bill does not contemplate the mining of surface water but rather deep aquifers.
Status: Passed House; received a favorable recommendation from the Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee; on second reading calendar with Senate.
H.B. 499 Department of Environmental Quality Amendments (sponsored by Rep. Casey Snider): This is a new bill since our last update. This bill makes changes to Utah’s environmental regulatory framework that could indirectly impact Great Salt Lake. The bill restructures the Air Quality Board within the Department of Environmental Quality, modifying membership qualifications. Notably, the bill removes the critical “not connected with industry” requirement for the expert member position. This change potentially reduces independent voices on the board while potentially increasing industry representation.
While it doesn’t directly target Great Salt Lake, these changes could affect air quality management relevant to the lake ecosystem, particularly as exposed lakebed continues to create dust pollution concerns.
This bill also removes restrictions on the installation of water heaters in areas meeting ground-level ozone air quality standards.
Status: Passed House; received a favorable recommendation from the Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee on March 4.
H.B. 520 Water Entity Amendments (sponsored by Rep. Casey Snider): This is a new bill since our last update. This bill makes a number of changes regarding the relationships of various entities within the Department of Natural Resources. First, it places the Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner and the commissioner within the Department of Natural Resources. In doing so, it places the executive director of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in an administrative oversight role above the Great Salt Lake Commissioner’s Office. Currently, the Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner is an independent entity that reports directly to the governor. With the current leadership team in DNR, such a change is unlikely to have major implications since there is a great deal of coordination between DNR and the Commissioner’s Office already.
Second, the bill creates the Great Salt Lake Trust Council. The council is to replace an existing water trust advisory council, and must now coordinate with the Great Salt Lake commissioner concerning projects to lease water or water rights to GSL. The commissioner may not expend money for the purposes of acquiring or leasing water or water rights without first obtaining recommendations from the Great Salt Lake Trust Council. Importantly, the Commissioner’s Office will now be playing a more direct role in the business of the Great Salt Lake Trust.
Third, the bill requires that water agents coordinate and receive input from relevant divisions within the Department of Natural Resources.
Finally, the bill makes changes to the Utah Lake Authority. It prohibits the Lake Authority from entering into an improvement project that is conditioned on the Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands allowance of the use of Utah Lake unless the division is given 45 days notice of the improvement project agreement and the proposed water use is consistent with management plans applicable to Utah Lake and the public trust doctrine. Moreover, the bill requires that the Lake Authority coordinate with the executive director of the Department of Natural Resources at least monthly and include an explanation of this coordination in its annual report to the Executive Appropriations Committee of the Legislature.
Status: Passed the House; Introduced in the Senate.
House bills that will have a negative impact on Great Salt Lake
H.B. 368 Local Land Use Amendments (sponsored by Rep. Stephen L. Whyte): This bill prohibits cities and municipalities from withholding building permits if the applicant hasn’t submitted a private landscaping plan. It also prohibits municipalities from requiring the submission of a private landscaping plan for an application for subdivision, plat approval or subdivision improvement. If enacted, this will make it harder for cities to require water-wise landscaping measures for residences.
Status: Passed House; received a favorable recommendation from the Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee; on second reading calendar with Senate.
Senate bills that will have a positive impact on Great Salt Lake
S.B. 33: Water Rights Recording Amendments (sponsored by Sen. Evan Vickers): This bill, through amendments, streamlines the process of documenting water rights transfers and promotes efficient management and oversight by the state engineer.
Status: Passed Senate and House; on to the Governor.
S.B. 36: Water Quality Board Modifications (sponsored by Sen. Todd Weiler): This bill modifies the Utah Water Quality Act to authorize the Utah Water Quality Board to oversee settlement negotiations and issue final penalty orders. Specifically, the bill establishes a process for the board to review settlement negotiations between the director and a party in alleged violation of the Utah Water Quality Act and issue a final order establishing a reasonable penalty.
Status: Passed Senate and House, on to the Governor.
S.B. 80: Drinking Water Amendments (sponsored by Sen. Scott Sandall): This bill modifies the Safe Drinking Water Act to include a fee schedule. Listed in the factors that the fee schedule may include and the incentives it may provide are financial incentives to install water meters on each residential connection and adopt tiered water rates.
Sen. Sandall proposed a version of this bill in previous years as the Division of Drinking Water seeks to identify reliable funding mechanisms for its programs that test and maintain drinking water quality. The allowance of a fee schedule that incentivizes the installation of meters and the adoption of tiered water rates is beneficial for municipal water conservation. Notably, UT Code Ann. 73-10-32.5 and 73-10-34 require tiered water rates for culinary water and secondary meters. Thus, the financial incentives may be a mechanism to further push the adoption of such measures.
Status: Passed Senate and House, with Senate Conference Committee.
S.B. 92: Golf Course Amendments (sponsored by Sen. Daniel McCay): This bill addresses water use on golf courses by:
- Requiring that the Utah State University Institute of Land, Air, and Water (“The Institute”) conduct a study of water use on golf courses and publish a report to the Legislative Water Development Commission by June 30, 2028, with all golf courses de-identified and identify best practices for water use on golf courses and work with the owners and operators of golf courses to identify strategic water-saving opportunities;
- Setting up an advisory committee of golf professionals to consult with the institute in preparing the study;
- Requiring the Utah Division of State Parks to develop a master plan for state-owned golf courses;
- Making this record of water data provided to the Utah State University Institute of Land, Air, and Water pursuant to statute a protected record under the Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA).
While the bill does protect the water usage data, de-identifies golf courses, and has no substantive water conservation requirements, it does have beneficial mandates that stakeholders work together to study and identify water conservation practices.
Status: Passed Senate; not considered by House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee. This means the bill will not pass this session.
S.B. 131: Water Commitment Amendments (sponsored by Sen. Nate Blouin): This bill permits the commitment of available water to uses on sovereign lands in water conservation plans. “Sovereign lands” means those lands lying below the ordinary high-water mark of navigable bodies of water at the date of statehood and owned by the state by virtue of its sovereignty—including all lands below the Great Salt Lake meander lines.
Utah manages portions of the Bear River, Colorado River, Green River, and the entire Jordan River as sovereign lands. Therefore, if water conservancy districts can commit water to these areas, it could have a big impact on getting water to the lake. The bill only creates discretionary authority, however, and doesn’t mandate the conservancy districts do anything.
Status: Passed Senate, stalled in House.
S.B. 305 Water Wise Landscaping Amendments (sponsored by Sen. Keven Stratton): This is a new bill since our last update, but has already failed to pass. This bill would have implemented landscaping requirements on state government facilities. It prohibited state agencies that own or occupy a state government facility built after May 4, 2022, from having turf on more than the amount allowed by the local municipality or in any park strips.
Status: Failed in Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee.
Senate bills that will have a negative impact on Great Salt Lake
S.B. 201 Real Estate Amendments (sponsored by Sen. Wayne Harper): This bill restricts the circumstances under which a homeowners’ association can prohibit or restrict the conversion of a grass park strip to water-efficient landscaping. The bill repeals the requirement that HOAs shall adopt rules supporting water-wise landscaping for any area in which the association is responsible for landscape maintenance. Additionally, the bill allows HOAs to prohibit the conversion of grass strips if they are more than eight feet wide. The bill also allows HOAs to require a lot owner to install or keep in place lawn or turf in an area more than eight feet wide.
Status: Passed Senate; received a favorable recommendation from the House Political Subdivisions Committee; on House third reading calendar for Senate bills.
S.B. 337 Land Use and Development Amendments (sponsored by Sen. Kirk A. Cullimore): This is a new bill since our last update. It creates the Beehive Development Agency and authorizes the chief executive officer of the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity to propose significant community impact project plans.
The agency is to approve up to three significant community impact project plans per calendar year. A community impact project must promote the strategic economic development objectives of the state, as established by the Economic Opportunity Council. The agency is to consist of five voting members: three appointed by the governor, one appointed by president of the Senate, and one appointed by the Speaker of the House. The funding for these projects is to come from various tax revenue streams and the issuance of bonds. The agency also may provide funding for the development of public infrastructure and other infrastructure improvements separate from the significant community impact projects.
Advocates of this bill argue that it will allow the state to consolidate efforts regarding large-scale development and plans with significant community impact. The agency will be able to coordinate many decentralized projects to benefit economic development. On the other hand, opponents argue that the Beehive Development Agency is a way to approve far-reaching and economically impactful projects without public input or political accountability since the members will be appointed, not elected. Other concerns from opponents are that this bill will remove any effective oversight of large economic projects, strip local governments of their planning authority, and effectively establish an agency that the governor can use to push through his political agenda.
Specifically regarding water, this bill gives the Beehive Development Agency the power to approve water infrastructure projects and plans concerning the availability of, and impact on the availability of, resources like water, energy, air quality, and recreational opportunities.
While it is uncertain whether this will have an impact on Great Salt Lake, it detracts from local autonomy and may override additional protections to the lake that are provided by local government.
Status: Received a favorable recommendation from the Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee. It is currently circled in the Senate, and time is running short.
III. Requests for appropriation (RFAs) we are watching
RFAs are an important part of Utah’s legislative process, distinct from bills, and are formal requests for funding made by lawmakers during Utah’s legislative session. Unlike bills, which propose new laws or changes to existing laws, RFAs specifically focus on allocating state funds to particular programs. In Utah, RFAs play a crucial role in shaping the state’s budget and determining which programs and initiatives receive funding. Lawmakers can consider new funding needs that arise during the legislative session, so RFAs allow for a flexible budgeting process.
Great Salt Lake Commissioner Federal Funds Adjustment: This funding item provides an additional $30 million ongoing in federal funds authorization to the Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner to account for grants from the Bureau of Reclamation that are expected to last for five years.
Status: Not yet funded.
Great Salt Lake Long-Term Water Program: While $1 million has been allocated, the original request was for a $16 million one-time appropriation seeking funding to lease water and invest in infrastructure to stabilize the lake elevation at 4,195 feet. Rather than top-down regulation, the program supports voluntary, market-based water conservation efforts. These state funds will be matched by federal and private funds. Thus, each dollar invested leverages additional contributors, multiplying the impact of state resources. Should additional funding beyond the initial $1 million allocation become available, expanded funding for the program could secure more voluntary, market-based water leases, currently the most adaptable approach to increasing lake levels. This program respects water rights while creating pathways for more water to reach the lake.
Status: $1 million funded.
Addressing Critical Dust Concerns (sponsored by Rep. Doug Owens): This request for appropriation aims to better understand the pressing issue of dust pollution from the exposed lake beds of Great Salt Lake and Sevier Lake, which significantly impacts Utah communities. This request seeks funding to create ongoing research on dust composition and the health and air quality impacts of these exposed lake beds, including the health impacts of a “changing Great Salt Lake.” This funding represents an essential public health investment that deserves prioritization.
As Great Salt Lake continues to decline, the exposed lakebed creates increasing dust emissions that threaten communities throughout the Wasatch Front. We currently lack crucial data on the composition, concentration, and health impacts of these dust sources. Given that over 80% of Utah’s population lives within the airshed affected by Great Salt Lake dust, the modest investment of $651,100 would provide invaluable information to guide policy changes before worst-case exposure scenarios materialize.
Status: Not yet funded.
Farm and Ranch Protection Funding (sponsored by Rep. Doug Owens): This RFA is a $25 million one-time request. It provides funding for the LeRay McAllister Working Farm and Ranch Fund Program to be used over the next five years. Uses include protecting of agricultural lands from development through conservation easements and other tactics.
Status: Not yet funded.
Waterwise Landscaper Training and Certification (sponsored by Rep. Doug Owens): This RFA is a $420,000 one-time request. It provides funding to train and certify landscaping and irrigation professionals, landscaping contractors, and other landscape workers to implement waterwise landscaping plans, practices, and installations.
Status: Not yet funded.
Wetland Restoration and Management (sponsored by Rep. Doug Owens): This RFA is a request for $750,000 ongoing. It provides funding to the Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands to support up to two full-time employees, equipment and supplies for wetland restoration, and invasive species (phragmites) treatments.
Status: Not yet funded.
Sovereign Lands Wetland Enhancement and Infrastructure Analysis (sponsored by Rep. Jill Koford): This RFA is a $6 million one-time request. It provides funding to the Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands for:
- infrastructure improvements that demonstrate water savings, the ability to mitigate or suppress dust, and/or the ability to enhance wetlands and improve habitat on Great Salt Lake;
- implementation of wetland enhancement and preservation projects; or
- projects improving the water quality of Jordan River.We note that this RFA did not make the priority list of the Legislature’s Natural Resource Agriculture and Environmental Quality Appropriations Committee and is therefore not likely to make it into the final budget, but it is too early to count it out completely.
Status: Not yet funded.
ARDL Earmark Reallocation for Conservation Staff (sponsored by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food): Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) requests to amend the statute to reallocate a $525,000 annual sales tax earmark from the Agricultural Resource Development Loan Fund (ARDL) to fund water-optimization staff. Reallocating these funds would provide a stable funding source for water-optimization staff to manage future projects.
Status: Not yet funded.
Center for Utah Water Information (sponsored by Rep. Casey Snider): This RFA is a one-time $119,100 request for funds to conduct the initial work required to establish a Center for Utah Water Information. Utah’s water data are currently fragmented and produced using varied standards and formats. The lack of a common infrastructure for sharing and managing data across agencies makes data sharing and integration inefficient and difficult.
Status: Not yet funded.
GSL Wetland Enhancement and Protection Grants: This RFA is a one-time $5 million request. The Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands (FFSL) released $5 million in funding during FY25 to protect and enhance wetlands that directly benefit the Great Salt Lake. Continuing this program will allow FFSL to enhance and protect these valuable resources that contribute to water quantity, water quality, wildlife habitat, groundwater, and flood control. Additionally, this funding is typically leveraged through grant programs to bring private or federal funding to the Great Salt Lake.
Status: Not yet funded.
Bear River Basin Cloud-Seeding Program (Rep. Stewart Barlow): This RFA is a $2 million one-time request with $2.5 million ongoing. It provides funding for advanced systems such as Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), aircraft, and ground-based generators to increase precipitation in the Bear River Basin with the goal of replenishing Great Salt Lake. We note that while cloud-seeding is a tool that the state has increasingly relied upon in recent years, the strategy’s effectiveness is still unproven. Given that there are many strategies on the table that would lead to certain reductions, it may be prudent to prioritize such other water-conservation efforts before turning to geoengineering augmentation to ensure sustainable and reliable water resources and provide the greatest returns on the state’s investments.
Status: Not yet funded.
Wetland Mitigation and Restoration Coordinator (Rep. Casey Snider): This RFA is a $5,000 one-time request with $155,000 ongoing. It provides funding for a new wetland mitigation and restoration coordinator position to develop and implement strategies to improve and streamline wetland mitigation practices.
Status: Not yet funded.
Endangered Species Listing Prevention & Recovery (Sen. Ronald Winterton): This RFA is a $5 million one-time request. It provides funding to the Species Protection Account (SPA), formerly known as the Endangered Species Mitigation Fund (ESMF). The SPA has been flat-funded since 1997, and this increase would bring its buying power close to 1997 levels.
Status: Not yet funded.
Conclusion
As the 2025 legislative session draws to a close this week, there are a few key takeaways. First, the legislature has had other priorities and has focused much of its work on issues besides saving Great Salt Lake. Second, a number of important bills that were introduced and would have positively impacted the lake have either stalled or failed. Third, several important bills and requests for appropriation worthy of support remain outstanding. Finally, we hope to see more bills directly benefiting Great Salt Lake during any interim sessions and during next year’s legislative session in order to take the lake and the affected public out of harm’s way.
Appendix I: The basics of Utah’s legislative process
There are some quirks about Utah’s legislative process you should understand. Here’s what you need to know.
- While there is a lot of prep work and drafting ahead of time before a bill becomes public, the process formally begins once a bill is numbered. See the listing of bills before the Legislature with a few different ways to sort through them.
- Once a bill is numbered, it goes through the appropriate chamber’s rules committee and is sent to a legislative committee. Committee hearings are often the easiest way for members of the community to comment on a bill; however, an email to one’s own representative or bill sponsor civilly expressing an opinion about a bill is also an effective method. Use this tool the legislature created for to find your legislators.
- Once numbered, the bill will be read three times by the House and the Senate beginning in the chamber where the bill begins–labeled “H.B.” for bills that begin in the House and “S.B.” for bills that begin in the Senate. Each reading provides opportunities for revisions. As a bill progresses, the readings of the bill do likewise.
- In the Senate, each bill must pass two separate floor votes, at least 24 hours apart, to pass out of the chamber.
- In the House, a bill only requires a single floor vote.
- To become law, after passing through each chamber, the bill requires the governor’s signature, or a 60-day period with no action. Alternatively, if the governor vetoes the bill, the legislature can override it by a two-thirds majority.
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