State water-plan manager seeks input; draft outline and basin scoping scheduled

Steph McGinnis, the new state water-plan manager in the Division of Water Resources, presented the draft outline and schedule for Utah’s next State Water Plan and asked watershed councils to help provide basin perspectives and identify local successes and needs.

McGinnis said the plan is required by state code to be updated at least every ten years and that the division aims to complete the next iteration by December 2026. "I started in January and I wish I had 5 years, but we are set to have this next iteration complete by December of 2026," McGinnis said.

Nut graf: The division’s draft organizes the plan into chapters on constraints (climate, population, water law), needs and management strategies, basin-specific perspectives and implementation actions; staff will hold basin scoping meetings this summer, run a survey for watershed councils and ask for local volunteers to help synthesize basin survey results.

McGinnis said the draft has nine chapters and that chapters on basin perspectives are intended to surface local problems, solutions and successes. She asked watershed councils to help by identifying basin-level issues and by suggesting hosts and local participants for summer public scoping meetings. She also announced a planned public comment period in summer 2026 and encouraged councils to submit feedback and to appoint small teams to help review survey results for their basins.

Division staff and attendees discussed areas of emphasis, including tracking implementation of previous-plan recommendations, making the plan more interactive or web-based, and ensuring agency coordination on items such as water supplies, infrastructure, and environmental needs. Candice Hausneiger (Division of Water Resources) and Teresa Wilhelmsen (State Engineer, Division of Water Rights) confirmed active agency involvement. McGinnis said the division will send a survey to council members after local meetings conclude and encouraged councils to act as local outreach partners for scoping meetings.

Ending: McGinnis asked councils to help identify basin volunteers for review and to assist with public scoping meeting logistics this summer; the division will circulate the survey and follow up with councils as the draft plan develops.