This year, Utah's legislature passed bills that mandated water metering for landscaping, created a statewide turf buyback program, and set limits on turf at new state-owned buildings. 1/10/2022. The state will pay for up to 50 percent of the cost. Cox hails generational effort in Utahs water law history, What happened after a governor asked his state to pray for rain, Anatomy of a drought: How the West may change for decades to come, How bad is the Western drought? Projects should remove all lawn from the park strip and replace it with water-efficient landscaping. For North Ogden resident Chelsea Baker, her family is taking the restrictions in stride. All Rights Reserved, Gov. It is unclear exactly how much water goes toward agricultural use as the Utah Divison of Water Resources says it mostly relies on estimates. If lawn has been killed or removed prior to a pre-conversion site visit, you are not eligible for this program. Legislative Research and General Counsel. Ferry, R-Brigham City and a farmer himself, cobbled together a complicated compromise bill that allows farmers and other holders of water rights to lease those rights to the Utah Division of Forestry Fire and State Lands, which has oversight of the lake bed. The governor announced four focus areas the state will fast-track to further advance water conservation and water planning: Lt. Gov. Municipal water use makes up about 15% of all water use in Utah. You can sign up here for information on the turf buyback program, With the dramatic decline of the Great Salt Lake, Depending on where you live, there are different rebates that can be offered. Deidre Henderson, South Jordan Mayor Dawn Ramsey and Central Utah Water Conservation District manager Rick Maloy participate in a press conference at the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District in West Jordan on Thursday. Residents in areas that have adopted qualifying landscape standards are eligible for state rebate funding. 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Cox said his administration is committed to pushing for more aggressive conservation measures, but they are long-range considerations and would require the legislature to get on board. State officials say don't start killing your lawn quite yet, though they encourage you to just do the bare minimum of recommended watering. Skijoring is when someone on skis is pulled by a horse, dog, animal, or motor vehicle. "These programs are typically offered at the local level, we're not aware of any state that offers such a program. Secondly, the owner has to be paid up and in good standing with their water provider. No, This program is only for exisitng landscapes with grass park strips. As Pineview supplies start to falter, North Ogden passed an ordinance relaxing some rules around use of culinary, or treated water, on shrubs, trees, flowers or for livestock. With 100% of the state experiencing drought conditions, Gov. To all those people who asked what are YOU going to do, this is the answer, Cox said. These requirements include waterwise landscape standards for new residential developments. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. Riverdale in Weber County recently reported its aquifer had dropped 17 feet since May 1 and water conservation goals fell way short of what authorities had hoped. Asking people to conserve is not a bad idea in terms of our water usage, said Brian Steed, Executive Director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources. What about people who have already xeriscaped their lawns and wont get money from the state. As one of the fastest-growing states in the nation, how we grow and develop today will set our water use for decades to come. 121. Depending on where you live, there are different rebates that can be offered. Under Flip Your Strip, $1 per square foot is offered or $1.25 per square foot if a free park strip class is attended. The Washington County Water Conservancy District has said it has enough water to get through this year, but plans are being made for drastic measures in the years to come. Attend a park strip class. Some ideas include metering secondary water systems, which the Legislature is already planning to do, improved technology for farmers and ranchers so they can use water more wisely, and mandating more water-wise landscaping for new developments. Photo: Kevin Cody. Donate to the newsroom now. Statewide turf buyback program Outdoor water use makes up about 60% of our municipaland industrial water use. Any culinary water use on lawns remains against city ordinance, and residents who abuse that rule could be subject to a fine as high as $250. During your consultation, you will receive watering suggestions, sprinkler system advice, and recommendations for your landscape. In Jordan Valleys program, participation in the Flip Your Strip program is up 160% this year. "Because its more work!". Theyve learned they can have that same look by using water-friendly landscaping," said Zachary Renstrom, the general manager of the water conservancy district. Really to have the state government setting the example on water-wise use in our landscaping, said Rep. Robert Spendlove. The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands is also updating and enacting a, Tasks the Utah Division of Water Resources to develop the Great Salt Lake Watershed Integrated Water Assessment to look at how much surface and groundwater flow to the lake. H.B. Bill Numbered but not Distributed. House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, worked to establish the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Program, which creates a $40 million water trust to help the dwindling lake. Personal Data: various types of Data as specified in the privacy policy of the service. Applicant must be in good standing with a participating water provider. In addition to programs like "turf buyback," the Legislature is working with our state's farmers and ranchers to better conserve and utilize water for agriculture. Nominate Someone for a FOX 13 Dream Team Surprise! Cox discussed new policies his administration is hoping to push forward, like a buyback program for turf and secondary water metering. City Manager Jon Call said normally the use of any culinary water outside is strictly prohibited, but a shortened irrigation season is requiring flexibility to be built into the system. I have been really impressed driving around the city to see how many lawns are following the restrictions.. By leaving the ice in this year and not letting it melt and then freeze again, the water savings will be substantial. LocalScapes target a revamped landscaping design for residents with reward money being distributed based on lot size and water savings. Request a pre-conversion site visit. Turf buyback programs like Jordan Valley's . The Washington County Water Conservancy District told FOX 13 it is considering a "turf buyback" program to incentivize people to move toward drought-friendly landscaping. Utah is the fastest growing state in the nation, growing 18.4% over the past decade compared to the national average of 7.4%. Cash rewards and plan reviews will be given for landscaping projects that meet program . Legislative Research and General Counsel. Spencer Cox and Lt. Read all of our stories atgreatsaltlakenews.org. Thats a good first start.. "It just cant be a dirt patch.". . Completed park strips must be irrigated with low-volume drip systems. If landscape fabric is used (not recommended), it must be permeable to water and air. Now, for the bad news. Heres the one word you cant say in a room full of Republicans, 106 wild horses have died in Colorado. Following our visit, you will also receive a summary report including information . Also attending are, from left, Utah Department of Natural Resources Executive Director Brian Steed, St. George Mayor Michele Randall, Lt. Unpaid water bills will disqualify applicants from the Flip Your Strip program. It. I want to have a nice drink of water. This bill is one I would consider generationally one of the most important pieces of legislation that you will see, he said. We have encouraged all of our departments within Weber County to investigate ways to conserve water, he said, adding the ice rink is one of the countys larger consumers. In those areas of Utah where meters have been installed to track use of secondary water, providers have found that consumption on a per-household basis has decreased by as much as 30%, and when compared against neighbors use, people become increasingly conscious about water savings. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. HB 121 appropriated $5 million for statewide turf buyback, making Utah the first that offers a statewide. They tore out turf and replaced it with native plants and rocks. Weve seen significant reductions in water usage across the state. ", Kari said she would have liked to have gotten some money to "help with offsetting material and that type of stuff.". Deidre Henderson participated in a Monday ceremonial signing of the water bills, with Cox musing that he knew for sure the bills and money this year significantly outpaced anything that been done in water law and funding in at least more than a decade and probably in state history. During the legislative session, there was significant action to help the Great Salt Lake, which reached its historic low last year and continues to shrink. Cox also floated was a turf buyback program, in which the state would pay property owners to tear out grass and replace it with xeriscaping or more water-wise landscaping. This drought has caused all of us to reevaluate how we conserve and motivated us to do more, Gov. Roughly $100 million of that. This year, Im getting quite nervous as we have had multiple months without the water we need.. Eight streams are flowing at record low conditions, according to the Utah Division of Water Resources. All rights reserved. Before removing any turf, the following actions need to take place: i. Click here to sign in and see program availability. The this, he added, is the unprecedented funding effort of nearly $450 million for water-related infrastructure, and lastly the this is the extensive amount of collaboration to lift a desire for change into actual action. The St. George couple did not get any rebates or incentives to do it, but spent the past two years slowly replacing their lawn because they wanted to conserve water. In new commercial, industrial, institutional and multi-family development common area landscapes, lawn areas shall not exceed 20% of the total landscaped area, outside of active recreation areas. 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