Division of Water Resources outlines draft state water plan, seeks public input in Vernal

Candace Hossinger, director of the Division of Water Resources, opened a public Water Talk in Vernal and introduced the agency's draft approach to the next State Water Plan. "My name is Candace Hossinger. I'm the director at the Division of Water Resources," she told attendees, then turned the meeting over to Stephanie McGinnis, the state water plan manager, who led the presentation and public-engagement discussion.

McGinnis said the plan is intended as a strategic framework — not a regulatory document — that summarizes current water resources, outlines drivers of change and identifies actionable strategies for state, local and individual decision-makers. "The purpose of the state water plan is to provide an overview of current water resources and also outline strategies and actionable steps at the individual local and state levels to help us address current challenges," McGinnis said.

Why it matters: presenters highlighted prolonged drought and falling reservoir levels as central drivers for the plan. McGinnis noted that, based on U.S. Drought Monitor data for 2000–2019, Utah spent roughly…