2
3
4
5
6 Cosponsors:
7 Melissa G. Ballard
8 Brady Brammer
9 Clare Collard
10 Steve Eliason
11 Joel Ferry
12 Matthew H. Gwynn
Stephen G. Handy
Timothy D. Hawkes
Rosemary T. Lesser
Steven J. Lund
Carol Spackman Moss
Calvin R. Musselman
Doug Owens
Susan Pulsipher
Mike Schultz
Jeffrey D. Stenquist
Stephen L. Whyte
Brad R. Wilson
Mike Winder
13
14 LONG TITLE
15 General Description:
16 This bill addresses state actions related to the Great Salt Lake.
17 Highlighted Provisions:
18 This bill:
19 ▸ enacts provisions requiring the Division of Water Resources to develop the Great
20 Salt Lake Watershed Integrated Water Assessment, including:
21 • defining terms;
22 • providing for what the integrated water assessment may include;
23 • addressing how the integrated water assessment is to be developed and
24 implemented, including the creation of a work plan;
25 • requiring reporting; and
26 • requiring a study of the impact of certain best management practices associated
27 with post-construction retention storm water permit requirements on the water
28 budget of the Great Salt Lake.
29 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
30 This bill appropriates in fiscal year 2023:
31 ▸ to the Department of Natural Resources -- Water Resources, as a one-time
32 appropriation:
33 • from General Fund, $5,000,000.
34 Other Special Clauses:
35 None
36 Utah Code Sections Affected:
37 ENACTS:
38 73-10g-401, Utah Code Annotated 1953
39 73-10g-402, Utah Code Annotated 1953
40 73-10g-403, Utah Code Annotated 1953
41 73-10g-404, Utah Code Annotated 1953
42 73-10g-405, Utah Code Annotated 1953
43
44 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
45 Section 1. Section 73-10g-401 is enacted to read:
46
47 73-10g-401. Definitions.
48 As used in this part:
49 (1) "Great Salt Lake watershed" means the area comprised of the Great Salt Lake, the
50 Bear River watershed, the Jordan River watershed, the Utah Lake watershed, the Weber River
51 watershed, and the West Desert watershed.
52 (2) "Integrated water assessment" means an integrated surface and ground water
53 assessment for the Great Salt Lake watershed developed under Section 73-10g-402.
54 (3) "Work plan" means the plan developed under Section 73-10g-403 to develop and
55 implement an integrated water assessment.
56 Section 2. Section 73-10g-402 is enacted to read:
57 73-10g-402. Development of an integrated water assessment.
58 (1) The division shall develop and implement an integrated surface and ground water
59 assessment for the Great Salt Lake watershed.
60 (2) The integrated water assessment may in relationship with the Great Salt Lake
61 watershed:
62 (a) provide an assessment of the amounts and quality of available water resources;
63 (b) assess and forecast the quantity of water available for human, agricultural,
64 economic development, and environmental or instream uses, and ecological needs, including:
65 (i) current and future water supply and demand and the factors that influence
66 availability;
67 (ii) long-term trends in water availability and the causes of those trends; and
68 (iii) seasonal and decadal forecasts of availability;
69 (c) investigate the potential benefits of forest management and watershed restoration
70 in:
71 (i) improving snowpack retention;
72 (ii) increasing soil moisture;
73 (iii) sustaining river flows in low flow seasons;
74 (iv) mitigating wildfire risk; and
75 (v) improving water quality;
76 (d) coordinate an effort to:
77 (i) quantify the amount of water and water quality needed to sustain high priority
78 ecological sites in rivers, riparian, wetland, and lake systems; and
79 (ii) incorporate the water demand into the water supply and demand model;
80 (e) identify and evaluate best management practices that may be used to provide a
81 reliable water supply that:
82 (i) meet water quality objectives;
83 (ii) meet agriculture water objectives;
84 (iii) accommodate anticipated growth and economic development; and
85 (iv) provide adequate flow to sustain the Great Salt Lake, the Great Salt Lake's
86 wetlands, and other ecological functions in the Great Salt Lake's watershed; and
87 (f) address other matters identified in the work plan.
88 (3) The integrated water assessment shall include a water budget for the Great Salt
89 Lake and the Great Salt Lake's associated wetlands, including water flows needed to maintain
90 different lake levels under different scenarios, taking into consideration water quality,
91 ecological needs, economic benefits, and public health benefits of the Great Salt Lake.
92 (4) In developing and implementing the integrated water assessment, the division shall:
93 (a) consult and coordinate with other state, local, regional, and federal governmental
94 entities, water users, and other stakeholders; and
95 (b) coordinate with, and where appropriate, consider or incorporate other planning
96 efforts, assessments, studies, or reports relevant to the Great Salt Lake watershed.
97 Section 3. Section 73-10g-403 is enacted to read:
98 73-10g-403. Work plan.
99 (1) (a) By no later than November 30, 2023, and before developing the integrated water
100 assessment under Section 73-10g-402, the division shall create a plan for developing and
101 implementing the integrated water assessment.
102 (b) In creating the work plan, the division shall consult with the entities described in
103 Subsection 73-10g-402(4)(a).
104 (2) The work plan shall include in relationship to the Great Salt Lake watershed:
105 (a) a synthesis of available information, literature, and data, and an assessment of
106 scientific, technical, measurement, and other informational needs, relating to:
107 (i) water quantity, water quality, water use, and water demand;
108 (ii) improving quantification and quality of data for:
109 (A) surface and groundwater water diversions;
110 (B) depletions; and
111 (C) return flow;
112 (iii) developing, downscaling, or otherwise updating models and assessment tools to
113 improve understanding of water supply, water use, and water availability;
114 (iv) understanding changing watershed conditions, including changes in climate,
115 evapotranspiration, and other water supply vulnerabilities; and
116 (v) other matters as the division determines to be appropriate; and
117 (b) a description of how the work plan shall be implemented to address the needs
118 described in Subsection (2)(a), including:
119 (i) prioritize proposed activities, such as monitoring data infrastructure needs, studies,
120 analyses, and development of tools necessary to implement the integrated water assessment;
121 (ii) an implementation schedule, with completion of an integrated water assessment by
122 no later than November 30, 2026;
123 (iii) recommendations and a cost assessment for the implementation of the work plan;
124 (iv) public engagement process;
125 (v) an agreed approach to facilitate integrated watershed management and coordination
126 across local, state, and federal agencies; and
127 (vi) other matters as the division determines to be appropriate.
128 Section 4. Section 73-10g-404 is enacted to read:
129 73-10g-404. Completion of integrated water assessment -- Reporting and
130 publishing.
131 (1) The division shall complete the integrated water assessment by no later than
132 November 30, 2026.
133 (2) (a) The division shall report at least annually on the progress and findings from the
134 integrated water assessment to:
135 (i) the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim Committee;
136 (ii) the Legislative Water Development Commission; and
137 (iii) the Great Salt Lake Advisory Council.
138 (b) The division shall publish a report provided under Subsection (2)(a) on the
139 division's website.
140 (3) The division shall publish a final report on an integrated water assessment by no
141 later than December 31, 2027.
142 Section 5. Section 73-10g-405 is enacted to read:
143 73-10g-405. Great Salt Lake related post-construction storm water management.
144 (1) As used in this section:
145 (a) "Storm water" means the same as that term is defined in Section 19-5-108.5.
146 (b) "Storm water permit" means the same as that term is defined in Section 19-5-108.5.
147 (2) (a) As part of the integrated water assessment, the division shall study the impact of
148 low impact development best management practices associated with post-construction
149 retention storm water permit requirements on the water budget of the Great Salt Lake.
150 (b) As part of the study under this section, the division shall:
151 (i) coordinate with the Division of Water Quality; and
152 (ii) when appropriate, seek information from the United States Environmental
153 Protection Agency.
154 (3) Notwithstanding Section 73-10g-404, the division shall complete the study required
155 by this section and issue a final report to the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment
156 Interim Committee by no later than the November 2023 interim meeting of the Natural
157 Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim Committee.
158 Section 6. Appropriation.
159 The following sums of money are appropriated for the fiscal year beginning July 1,
160 2022, and ending June 30, 2023. These are additions to amounts previously appropriated for
161 fiscal year 2023. Under the terms and conditions of Title 63J, Chapter 1, Budgetary Procedures
162 Act, the Legislature appropriates the following sums of money from the funds or accounts
163 indicated for the use and support of the government of the state of Utah.
164 ITEM 1
165 To Department of Natural Resources -- Water Resources
166 From General Fund, One-time
$5,000,000
167 Schedule of Programs:
168 Planning $5,000,000
169 The Legislature intends that the Division of Water Resources use this one-time
170 appropriation to develop and implement an integrated surface and ground water assessment for
171 the Great Salt Lake watershed required by Title 73, Chapter 10g, Part 4, Great Salt Lake
172 Watershed Integrated Water Assessment, enacted in this bill. The appropriation is nonlapsing.