) ) ( ( ) ) ( ( 5 8 ) ) ( ( PAGE PAGE ) SUMMER 2020 ) ( ( ) ) ( ( Continued on page 6 ) ) ( ( ) ) ( ( ) ) ISSUE LXIII ( ( ) ) ( ( The Utah Legislature first took step tothe divert River water to prizedthe Wasatch Front. Green Andrew Burr. p: ) ) ( ( ) ) ( ( ) ) Kane County Leaves LPP Project Heated BRD Debate at Hinckley ( ( ) ) ( ( 3 7 ) ) ( ( PAGE PAGE $3+ billion to Utah taxpayers, despite the biggest tax economic using be should state The Depression. the since contraction communities and businesses of multitude the help to revenues continue lobbyists well-paid Instead, COVID-19. by impacted to influence the legislature, collecting nearlyboondoggle. the $40build to million year each revenue sales-tax in annually The Bureau of Reclamation is rushing to approve the largest is rushing to approve the largest The Bureau of Reclamation new diversion of Colorado River water in the 7-state region. change of climate impacts All while ignoring the impending and the financial turmoil caused by COVID-19. The entire permitting process is being rushed to approve this dangerous pandemic global the with distracted is public the while project and protests that have shook the country to its knees. The Utah Division of Resources Water continues to propose this unnecessary diversion of the Colorado River at a cost of ) ) Continued on next page ( ( ) ) ( ( ) ) ( ( ) Waterlines ) ( ( ) ) ( ( ) ) ( ( ) ) In this Issue ( ( ) ) ( ( ) Project During Worst Economy in Nearly a Century During Worst Project ) Rushing $3 Billion Lake Powell Pipeline Proponents ( ( ) Powell Pipeline. p: Hidden Passage, Hidden p: Pipeline. Powell Glen Canyon. Declines in Colorado River flows water no that certain but all it make will be available for the costly Lake URC Protests LPP Water Rights H2O Conservation Graveyard ) River Diversion Passes Bill Advancing Green Legislature and the Colorado River. HB 328 updates construction costs from a 2002 report by the working actively agency state the Resources, Water of Division River Bear the on diversions water new in billion $6+ spend to another unnecessary, expensive, and destructive river diversion river destructive and expensive, unnecessary, another conservation. water to hostile Legislature a by comes that Utah in of diverting precious Green River water to the overwatered lawns overwatered the to water River Green precious diverting of of Salt Lake The County. bill’s passage is the catalyst for yet army of water lobbyists at our state capitol. HB 328, sponsored 328, HB capitol. state our at lobbyists water of army and Legislature the by passed was Ferry, Joel Representative by costs the on information” seek “simply to measure a as cloaked The Utah Legislature took the first step to diverting Green River Green diverting to step first the took Legislature Utah The the to gift another yet Front, Wasatch the of lawns the to water ( ( ) ) ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) NO VOTES SUMMER 2020 Rep. Phil Lyman Rep. Joel Briscoe Rep. Carl Albrecht Rep. Kevin Stratton Rep. Christine Watkins @UtahRiversCouncil @UtahRivers @UtahRivers YES VOTES Rep. Joel Ferry Rep. Scott Chew Rep. Doug Sagers Rep. Tim Hawkes Rep. Tim Rep. Logan Wilde House Natural Resources Committee House Natural Resources Rep. Sue Duckworth Rep. Michael McKell Voting Record to Divert The Green River The Green Record to Divert Voting Many thanks to For hosting our website. Suite 201 801.486.4776 www.utahrivers.org 1055 East 2100 South Utah Rivers Council Salt Lake City, Utah 84106 Salt Lake City, 2 Continued from cover Legislature Passes Bill Advancing Green River Diversion Passes Bill Advancing Green Legislature River and for the communities that depend on its water. everyone involved was inspired by the scope of energy and enthusiasm to protect glorious Utah’s rivers efforts your for you thank to like We’d Utahns. for supply water affordable and sustainable a institute and Green the on diversion unnecessary this fight to continue will We accountable. officials elected our hold to Opposition to HB 328 continued and twice we came within a breath of killing this bill because of strong opposition to yet another destructive water project led by special interests. Although we lost this fight, the destructive bill and passing it by a single vote of 7 – 5. life and reconsidered in the same committee in held was 328 HB on vote second A meeting. resurrecting meeting, the of minutes final the led by Representative Michael McKell and a motion to reconsider by Representative to back brought was bill the Duckworth, Sue voted down HB 328 by a vote of 5 – 4. But after some extremist political maneuvering Ferry and the water development industry. first Committee Resources Natural House The URC staff and volunteers worked hard to oppose and stop this bad bill as did many family businesses and businesses family many did as bill bad this stop and oppose to hard worked volunteers and staff URC community members across Representative rural for fight Utah. contentious The a making outrage bill, from the opposing concerned members committee constituents several and to led an opposition avalanche of water project is a reckless level of leadership that only the Utah Division of Water Resources can provide. can Resources Water of Division Utah the only that leadership of level reckless a is project water All during the current public health crisis which needs an infusion of capital to solve. facing extreme hardship do not need the precious waters supporting their economy wasted on the lawns and lawns the on wasted economy their supporting waters precious the need not do hardship extreme facing unnecessary another yet on dollars taxpayer of millions of hundreds Spending Front. Wasatch the of gutters These rural Utah recreational communities businesses are rural a many part The of COVID-19. a to $9.75 due contraction billion economic state extreme tourism the economy during that dramatically has suffered prized cold-water fishery, vibrant aquatic ecosystem and outstanding whitewater that has been the anchor prized cold-water fishery, the either enter to miles 139 – 70 between piped be would water River Green economies. Utah rural five to dollars. 2020 in million 449 211– of cost a at County Lake Salt to piped being before Rivers Weber or Bear The 2002 report explored 16 alternatives to divert Green River water to the Wasatch Front, upstream of a The 2002 report explored Wasatch 16 alternatives to divert Green River water to the PAGE ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) 3 PAGE PAGE Continued on next page . f certainly are. and use the My Legislator tool at the bottom to call or email them. tool at the bottom to call or and use the My Legislator Utah Legislature Kills Bill to Save Water, Utah Legislature Continues Hostility for Water Conservation Continues Hostility for Water www.le.utah.gov Are your legislators voting in favor of water conservation? Ask them yourself by visiting conservation? of water legislators voting in favor your Are they could conserve water by reducing use to 175 gallons per person per day, the water use of Denver. The Denver. of use water the day, per person per gallons 175 to use reducing by water conserve could they it though even bill, the opposed vehemently districts water four the and Resources Water of Division Utah mandate water use reductions, only that they consider how to save water. didn’t In 2019, Representative Suzanne Harrison ran HB 143, a bill that asked water suppliers to consider how bills which now lay in the overcrowded wasteland of the water conservation graveyard at the behest of the water districts leadership. There are dozens of other districts. bills laid water to for rest to revenues avoid higher jeopardizing big thus ticket increases, rate water gigantic require would that proposals, spending cultivate an image that they are conservation-minded, and many of their staf over the Yet years, the Utah Legislature has killed a plethora of water conservation and water efficiency Slow the Even Flow. many board members of these water districts are often unaware of how districts their water these staff helps campaign Flow the Slow The conservation. water against lobby contractors and The public often that forgets water districts make money selling water and are thereby disincentivized to with bills conservation water kill districts water four these while Yet water. conserve or sales, water reduce called campaign marketing public a of washing green the behind hiding by tracks their cover they hand, one Valley Water District and the Weber Basin Water District spoke out against the bill and its fate was sealed. was fate its and bill the against out spoke District Water Basin Weber the and District Water Valley These lobbyists have pooled their lobbying and legislative marketing behind a facade called Prep 60. Lobbyists representing the Central Utah Water District, the Washington County Water District, the Jordan the District, Water County Washington the District, Water Utah Central the representing Lobbyists Reducing water use through rudimentary water conservation inherently undermines for the costly ‘need’ reduced, is use water When Development. River Bear and Pipeline Powell Lake the like projects spending our future water needs shrink and costly spending proposals become unnecessary likely killing districts. yet water 60