Water Banking in Utah: Voluntary, Temporary, and Local

摘要

UTAH'S GROWING POPULATION presents a number of opportunities and challenges. Perhaps one of the greatest challenges is the question of how one of the driest states in the country will supply water to a population that could nearly double by 2060. To address this challenge, Governor Gary Herbert convened a multi-stakeholder group of experts in 2013 to develop a set of recommended strategies that could inform the development of a 50-year water plan. In 2017, Governor Herbert's team issued a recommended strategy that calls for Utahns to work together to provide clean and affordable water to sustain communities and businesses, while also supporting robust agriculture, ample recreation, and a resilient and healthy natural environment. To this end, the strategy identified a number of potential recommendations Utah could use to satisfy its growing water demands. It also identified water banking as a key tool that could support a variety of recommendations focused on supporting agriculture, improving water quality, facilitating water markets and temporary transfers, and improving instream flows.