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Utah Division of Water Resources seeks public input on updated State Water Plan
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Summary
At a West Desert "water talk," state water officials outlined a draft update to Utah's State Water Plan, highlighted drought trends and technology pilots, described chapters and programs under consideration, and invited public comments ahead of a final publication targeted for December 2026.
Officials from the Utah Division of Water Resources presented a draft framework for an updated State Water Plan at a West Desert water talk and asked local residents to provide feedback on water challenges, technologies and priorities that will shape a final plan targeted for December 2026. Stephanie McGinnis, State Water Plan Manager, told the meeting the plan is central to the agency’s mission to “plan, conserve, develop, and protect our water resources.”
The plan update lays out nine chapters covering water constraints, drivers of change, administration and basin-specific needs, and proposes strategies for healthy watersheds, vibrant communities and productive agriculture. McGinnis said the update will include current water budgets, modeling results, and options for demand management and supply optimization, and noted that recommendations in prior plans have often informed later action.
Why this matters: Utah has experienced more frequent and severe drought in recent years and long-term changes in snowpack and reservoir levels, officials said. “Lake Powell’s at about 29% of full pool or max capacity,” McGinnis said, citing recent reservoir lows. The Division plans to use new data and technology — including a multiyear pilot of the Airborne Snow Observatory (ASO) to measure snow water equivalent across whole watersheds — to improve planning and adapt to changing conditions.
At the meeting, presenters described key elements of the draft update. Chapter 2 will summarize Utah’s water constraints and provide a current water budget showing diversions, depletions and return flows. Chapter 3 will describe drivers of change such as climate and population shifts and note how technology and conservation can affect demand. Chapter 4 will explain how water is administered across state, regional and local entities and will note compacts and federal reserved rights. Later chapters address watershed protection, community water infrastructure and agricultural water efficiency, including financial programs and voluntary conservation incentives.
On agriculture, staff highlighted the Agricultural Water Optimization Program, a competitive grant program that funds on-farm and canal or irrigation-company projects, and discussed voluntary incentive programs run by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) that support best management practices (BMPs) for cropland and pasture. Officials said conservation easements and program incentives are among tools the plan will describe to protect agricultural lands while improving efficiency.
Officials emphasized that the State Water Plan is a strategic, nonregulatory document. “The state water plan is also not a regulatory document. The Division of Water Resources is not a regulatory agency,” McGinnis said. The plan is intended as a guiding framework rather than a binding rule.
Public engagement and timeline: staff said they are holding meetings in all 11 hydrologic basins across Utah, will spend the winter drafting the update, and will release a draft for public comment next summer before aiming for final publication in December 2026. Attendees were invited to complete a short survey (QR codes were provided during the meeting) and to send questions or comments to statewaterplan@utah.gov. The West Desert Watershed Council and local watershed councils were identified as ongoing local partners; council meetings run quarterly, and residents were invited to join those meetings for basin-level involvement.
Participants and staff: Candace Hosnier, Director, Utah Division of Water Resources, opened the session and asked residents how they use water in daily life. Stephanie McGinnis led the presentation and discussion. Division staff identified at the meeting included Becca (State Water Plan Specialist), Olga (Environmental Scientist), Carl (Senior Geologist), Director Hassenjager, Carly Payne (Watershed Council Coordinator), Micah Sanchez and several administrative and AV staff. Organizers asked attendees to limit initial comments so all could speak and said they would record the discussion to capture key points for the plan.
No formal actions or votes were taken at the event; the meeting was an outreach and information session to collect input for the plan update. Staff described existing programs and pilot efforts but did not adopt new policies at the meeting.
Next steps: staff will incorporate feedback collected at basin meetings and during the public comment period into the draft plan next summer, then publish the final State Water Plan in December 2026. Residents who wish to be notified about the public comment window were directed to sign up via the QR code or email statewaterplan@utah.gov.
