LOCAL NEWS

Great Salt Lake bill advances — but it’s watered down

Feb 28, 2023, 12:29 PM

(Jeffrey D. Allred/Deseret News)...

(Jeffrey D. Allred/Deseret News)

(Jeffrey D. Allred/Deseret News)

Editor’s note: This article is published through the Great Salt Lake Collaborative, a solutions journalism initiative that partners news, education and media organizations to help inform people about the plight of the Great Salt Lake — and what can be done to make a difference before it is too late. Read all of our stories at greatsaltlakenews.org.

SALT LAKE CITY — A bill designed to shepherd water into the Great Salt Lake has cleared a House committee, but with a significant change.

HB538 bans outdoor watering on lawns from Oct. 1 to April 25.

“City dwellers are going to do their part,” the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Doug Owens, D-Millcreek, told the House Natural Resources Committee on Monday.

But where the bill originally said that any water conserved goes into the Great Salt Lake, that was stripped out in a substitute version. Owens acknowledged it was a “substantial piece” of the legislation.

“The water districts were complaining that that was too complicated and implicated too many water rights so we’re going to have to take more time to work on that,” he said.

Local water districts came to the committee with concerns about how it impacts private water users to reservoirs. Mark Stratford, the general counsel for the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District, said the local water districts feel it is important to preserve the water in reservoirs for future use.

“Water that is not diverted, which this bill will increase … that water still has a high likelihood of making it to the lake. It’s not a failure for the lake,” he said following the hearing.

Lawmakers on the committee also had concerns about the ban and how far it goes. Some questioned whether it would hurt sod farms or tell people they can’t water their shrubs or trees. Owens insisted the legislation does not and he was supportive of amendments to clarify that.

‘We don’t need to water’

Lynn de Freitas, the executive director of the environmental group Friends of Great Salt Lake, testified in support of the bill.

“We live in the desert. I think it’s time we begin acting like that,” she told the committee.

HB538 passed on a 10-3 vote and now goes to the full House of Representatives for consideration. After the hearing, de Freitas said she still felt like the bill accomplished a lot even without the piece explicitly saying saved water goes into the Great Salt Lake.

“It’s a very responsible, innovative approach to thinking about how we don’t need to water,” de Freitas said.

Owens said he would not give up on shepherding water to the lake.

“We can’t talk water into the lake,” he said. “We’ll be working over the summer to bring back the second piece of the bill which is to require conserved water get to the lake.”

The Great Salt Lake is at a historic low, which presents an ecological catastrophe for Utah with toxic dust stormsreduced snowpack and harms to public health, wildlife and the economy. HB538, which has the support of legislative leadership, is one of many being considered in the 2023 Utah Legislature to save the Great Salt Lake. Lawmakers have also spent hundreds of millions of dollars on water conservation measures.

‘A holistic picture of water’

But some environmental groups are fuming over a lack of progress on getting water into the lake.

“The legislature is planning doomsday policies around the end of the Great Salt Lake, all while peddling propaganda that they’re going to raise water levels when they are not,” Zach Frankel, the executive director of the Utah Rivers Council, said in a statement Monday, criticizing two bills centered around the lake and agriculture water use.

The comments brought a rebuke from Senate President Stuart Adams, who accused the group of only complaining.

“I think it’s very myopic to try to say this has to be done in this particular scope and not look at a holistic picture of water,” he told reporters on Monday. “I think anybody can criticize, but nobody’s tried more to conserve, optimize and develop new water sources than we have over the past few years. I’m proud of our efforts.”

KSL 5 TV Live

Local News

A glimpse of the avalanches up Little Cottonwood Canyon in 2023. (Chris Williams)...

Shelby Lofton

Experts prepare outdoor enthusiasts for avalanche rescue as dangerous conditions persist

Northern Utah's mountains are under a high avalanche danger warning, including closing parts of Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons.

5 minutes ago

Follow @KSL5TVLike us on Facebook...

Andrew Adams

Artist hopes to put wildlife murals in every county in Utah

One artist is bringing the spirit of the Utah outdoors to cities with wildlife murals.

1 hour ago

Jeremy Albert Best is accused of killing his pregnant wife and fleeing with their infant child, wh...

Rebecca Boone

Mental evaluation ordered for Idaho man charged with murder in shooting death of his pregnant wife

An Idaho man accused of killing his pregnant wife and fleeing with their infant child who was later found dead will be given a mental health evaluation to determine if he is competent to stand trial, a magistrate judge said Monday.

5 hours ago

Americans spend millions of dollars on digital entertainment: movies, music, audiobooks, and e-book...

Matt Gephardt and Sloan Schrage

What happens to your purchased digital movies, music and e-books when you die?

Americans spend millions of dollars on digital entertainment: movies, music, audiobooks, and e-books. But is any of it really ours to keep? It's a question a Hooper widow is tackling after losing access to her e-books, so she decided to Get Gephardt.

12 hours ago

The Riverdale Road Denny's is organizing community support for an employee who was hit and critical...

Lauren Steinbrecher

Denny’s restaurant stepping up to help employee injured after being struck by vehicle

The Riverdale Road Denny's is organizing community support for an employee who was hit and critically injured while walking in a crosswalk with her young brother.

13 hours ago

emergency lights...

Mark Jones

Man killed in auto-pedestrian collision in North Ogden

A 72-year-old man was killed Monday night in an auto-pedestrian collision.

14 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Stylish room interior with beautiful Christmas tree and decorative fireplace...

Lighting Design

Create a Festive Home with Our Easy-to-Follow Holiday Prep Guide

Get ready for festive celebrations! Discover expert tips to prepare your home for the holidays, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for unforgettable moments.

Battery low message on mobile device screen. Internet and technology concept...

PC Laptops

9 Tips to Get More Power Out of Your Laptop Battery

Get more power out of your laptop battery and help it last longer by implementing some of these tips from our guide.

Users display warnings about the use of artificial intelligence (AI), access to malicious software ...

Les Olson

How to Stay Safe from Cybersecurity Threats

Read our tips for reading for how to respond to rising cybersecurity threats in 2023 and beyond to keep yourself and your company safe.

Design mockup half in white and half in color of luxury house interior with open plan living room a...

Lighting Design

Lighting Design 101: Learn the Basics

These lighting design basics will help you when designing your home, so you can meet both practical and aesthetic needs.

an antler with large horns int he wilderness...

Three Bear Lodge

Yellowstone in the Fall: A Wildlife Spectacle Worth Witnessing

While most people travel to this park in the summer, late fall in Yellowstone provides a wealth of highlights to make a memorable experience.

a diverse group of students raising their hands in a classroom...

Little Orchard Preschool

6 Benefits of Preschool for Kids

Some of the benefits of preschool for kids include developing independence, curiosity, and learning more about the world.

Great Salt Lake bill advances — but it’s watered down