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Senate approves bill letting Utah’s smallest counties extend water studies before land-use approvals
Summary
Senate Bill 189 — allowing fifth- and sixth-class counties up to two additional six-month study periods (maximum 18 months) to assess water availability before approving development — passed after discussion about scope and whether state authorities already have such powers.
Senators passed Senate Bill 189 on a roll call after extended discussion about whether the measure simply duplicates existing state authority or fills a gap for the state’s smallest counties.
Sponsor Senator Ralph Okerlund said the bill gives the smallest counties “the ability to have an additional 2 6 month periods to be able to complete a study, to do…to understand what their water resources are” and stressed that many of these counties lack in-house engineers or legal staff to conduct such studies. He told colleagues the Division of Water Rights is…
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