Utah Division of Water Resources previews updated state water plan, seeks public input in Weber River watershed

Stephanie McGinnis, the state water plan manager with the Utah Division of Water Resources, told a public meeting in the Weber River watershed that the agency is updating the State Water Plan and seeking local feedback.

"The purpose of the state water plan, really what we wanna do is we wanna provide an overview of current water resources," McGinnis said, adding the plan will also recommend "strategies and actionable steps at the individual, local, and state levels." She credited the Weber River Watershed Council for helping to identify local challenges and needs.

McGinnis said the updated plan will be organized in nine chapters and that the division is focusing on chapters that explain Utah's supply constraints, drivers of change such as climate and population, and how water is administered. She described the plan's treatment of healthy watersheds, community water systems and infrastructure, and support for agricultural producers through technical and financial programs.

The presentation highlighted recent hydrologic concerns: a U.S. Drought Monitor map showing Utah in drought roughly 40–50% of the weeks from 2000–2019, and historically low reservoir levels in Lake Powell during the 2020–2022 period. McGinnis said the plan will emphasize both demand- and supply-side approaches — from conservation measures and smart irrigation to infrastructure repair, water reuse, aquifer storage and recovery, and water‑loss control.

McGinnis described ongoing technology pilots intended to improve water accounting. She cited the airborne snow observatory (ASO) program, which uses aerial surveys to estimate snow depth and snow‑water equivalent across entire watersheds, and said the division is participating in a multiyear pilot to evaluate ASO for broader use.

On agricultural issues, McGinnis said the plan will identify existing programs and incentives to help farmers and ranchers increase efficiency while preserving agricultural lands. She mentioned the agriculture water optimization program, a conservation easement program and an agriculture voluntary incentive program, and said the plan will cover both off‑farm best management practices (conveyance and measurement) and on‑farm improvements (infrastructure and crop/soil management).

McGinnis explained how the plan fits with existing governance and coordination efforts. She told attendees the plan will describe who does what — from state agencies to local irrigation companies — and will note key laws and agreements that shape water use, including interstate compacts and federally reserved and tribal water rights. She also referenced a unified water infrastructure coordination effort (described in the presentation as the "unified water infrastructure plan known as the U. Web") as an emerging approach to coordinate project funding and planning across agencies.

The division is conducting 11 public meetings across Utah; McGinnis said the outreach series concludes at the end of the month and that staff will spend the winter drafting the plan from collected input. The division expects a public comment period on a draft next July–August, and McGinnis said a final published plan is targeted for December 2026. She directed attendees to statewaterplan.utah.gov for surveys and email updates and encouraged participation in local watershed councils, which meet quarterly.

The presentation closed with staff introductions and a plan to record the breakout conversation so staff can capture input accurately. The division emphasized the update is not a guarantee of water and is not regulatory; rather, McGinnis described the plan as a strategic framework to support informed decisions by those who shape, manage or depend on Utah's water resources.