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Commissioner’s office reports $1 million for water leasing, administrative move into DNR and a 10% basin conservation target
Summary
Aspen Johnston, Great Salt Lake water coordinator in the commissioner’s office, told the advisory council that the office received $1,000,000 in one‑time legislative funding for water leasing, will administratively transition into the Utah Department of Natural Resources, and is pursuing a basinwide 10% water‑use reduction target as it prepares to use a possible $50 million Bureau of Reclamation award.
Aspen Johnston, Great Salt Lake water coordinator in the commissioner’s office, told the Great Salt Lake Advisory Council that the office received $1,000,000 in one‑time legislative funding earmarked for water leasing and that it will continue preparing to use a potential $50,000,000 U.S. Bureau of Reclamation award.
The office will also transition administratively into the Utah Department of Natural Resources at the start of fiscal year 2026 and is “still targeting, a 10% reduction in consumption of water from the basin,” Johnston said, adding the 10% target is tied to the strike‑team scenario that models an additional 250,000 acre‑feet of inflow.
The funding updates and organizational changes came during a regularly scheduled meeting of the Great Salt Lake Advisory Council. Johnston summarized post‑legislative session outcomes, saying the office requested $16,000,000 in the governor’s budget and received $1,000,000 “for one‑time funding specifically to be used for water leasing.” She also said the office has been directed to continue laying the groundwork for a Great Salt Lake Water Delivery Program in case Reclamation funds become available.
Council members asked for clarification about timing for the commissioner’s strategic plan and about how the 10% water‑use reduction would be measured. Johnston said there is not yet a firm public date for the strategic plan and that the office is “still working on developing how that will work” for some partners; municipal baselines will be set in coordination with municipal partners and for agriculture the office is weighing approaches that consider water‑rights depletion and measurement options such as OpenET.
Council discussion emphasized two themes: (1) that a simple, shared conservation target helps frame partnership work across municipal, industrial and agricultural sectors, and (2) that achieving a modest additional inflow — on the order of 250,000 acre‑feet in modeling scenarios — substantially improves the lake’s long‑term outlook. Tim (chair) noted that the commissioner’s office has sought a straightforward, science‑based target and that the 10% ask is intended to be collaborative.
The council did not vote on new funding or policy at this meeting; Johnston encouraged stakeholders with project ideas to contact the commissioner’s office.
Votes at a glance: the council approved the meeting agenda and the minutes from its Jan. 8, 2025 meeting and later moved to adjourn (all motions carried unanimously).
