Rich County adopts water-use element after public hearing; plan remains advisory

The Rich County Commission voted Dec. 10 to adopt a water use and preservation element as an amendment to the county's comprehensive plan following a public hearing.

Planning administrator Mitch Polson presented the draft, saying the element is required by state statute and is intended to guide county decisions on water resources, agriculture, drinking water and an accompanying water budget. "These water elements are required by state statute under, 1727 a 4 0 4," Polson said during his presentation. He told commissioners the county's estimated residential use is about 274 gallons per capita per day, compared with a Utah goal the draft cites as less than 305 gallons per capita per day by 2030.

Polson described proposed actions ranging from informational outreach, tiered pricing for municipal systems and infrastructure audits to voluntary measures such as turf removal and xeriscaping. He emphasized the plan is advisory, not an ordinance: "Comprehensive plans are advisory. They're not necessarily rule of law," Polson said, adding the planning commission and staff would use the plan to inform reviews of future development and to identify where ordinance changes might be appropriate.

Commissioners closed the public hearing after staff reported that planning and zoning had no public comments and no written submissions. A commissioner then moved to approve the water element; the motion carried by unanimous voice vote.

What happens next: the water element will be incorporated into the comprehensive plan and used by staff and the planning commission when reviewing subdivision and development proposals. Commissioners and staff said specific ordinance changes or mandatory requirements would require separate action.

Sources: Presentation and public-hearing record, Rich County Commission meeting, Dec. 10, 2025. Direct quotes and data points in this article are attributed to Mitch Polson's presentation at that hearing.