Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 429 (2022GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Miles, K.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/21/2022

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• enacts provisions requiring the Division of Water Resources to develop the Great Salt Lake Watershed Integrated Water Assessment, including:
• defining terms;
• providing for what the integrated water assessment may include;
• addressing how the integrated water assessment is to be developed and implemented, including the creation of a work plan;
• requiring reporting; and
• requiring a study of the impact of certain best management practices associated with post-construction retention storm water permit requirements on the water budget of the Great Salt Lake.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

GREAT SALT LAKE AMENDMENTS
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Kelly B. Miles
Senate Sponsor: 
Scott D. Sandall
Cosponsors:
Melissa G. Ballard
Brady Brammer
Clare Collard
Steve Eliason
Joel Ferry
Matthew H. Gwynn
Stephen G. Handy
Timothy D. Hawkes
Rosemary T. Lesser
Steven J. Lund
Carol Spackman Moss
Calvin R. Musselman
Doug Owens
Susan Pulsipher
Mike Schultz
Jeffrey D. Stenquist
Stephen L. Whyte
Brad R. Wilson
Mike Winder
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill addresses state actions related to the Great Salt Lake.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ enacts provisions requiring the Division of Water Resources to develop the Great
Salt Lake Watershed Integrated Water Assessment, including:
• defining terms;
• providing for what the integrated water assessment may include;
• addressing how the integrated water assessment is to be developed and
implemented, including the creation of a work plan;
• requiring reporting; and
• requiring a study of the impact of certain best management practices associated
with post-construction retention storm water permit requirements on the water
budget of the Great Salt Lake.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
This bill appropriates in fiscal year 2023:
▸ to the Department of Natural Resources -- Water Resources, as a one-time
appropriation:
• from General Fund, $5,000,000.
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
ENACTS:
73-10g-401
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
73-10g-402
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
73-10g-403
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
73-10g-404
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
73-10g-405
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
73-10g-401
 is enacted to read:
Part 4. Great Salt Lake Watershed Integrated Water Assessment
 73-10g-401.
Definitions.
As used in this part:
(1) "Great Salt Lake watershed" means the area comprised of the Great Salt Lake, the
Bear River watershed, the Jordan River watershed, the Utah Lake watershed, the Weber River
watershed, and the West Desert watershed.
(2) "Integrated water assessment" means an integrated surface and ground water
assessment for the Great Salt Lake watershed developed under Section 
73-10g-402
.
(3) "Work plan" means the plan developed under Section 
73-10g-403
 to develop and
implement an integrated water assessment.
Section 2. Section 
73-10g-402
 is enacted to read:
 73-10g-402.
Development of an integrated water assessment.
(1) The division shall develop and implement an integrated surface and ground water
assessment for the Great Salt Lake watershed.
(2) The integrated water assessment may in relationship with the Great Salt Lake
watershed:
(a) provide an assessment of the amounts and quality of available water resources;
(b) assess and forecast the quantity of water available for human, agricultural,
economic development, and environmental or instream uses, and ecological needs, including:
(i) current and future water supply and demand and the factors that influence
availability;
(ii) long-term trends in water availability and the causes of those trends; and
(iii) seasonal and decadal forecasts of availability;
(c) investigate the potential benefits of forest management and watershed restoration
in:
(i) improving snowpack retention;
(ii) increasing soil moisture;
(iii) sustaining river flows in low flow seasons;
(iv) mitigating wildfire risk; and
(v) improving water quality;
(d) coordinate an effort to:
(i) quantify the amount of water and water quality needed to sustain high priority
ecological sites in rivers, riparian, wetland, and lake systems; and
(ii) incorporate the water demand into the water supply and demand model;
(e) identify and evaluate best management practices that may be used to provide a
reliable water supply that:
(i) meet water quality objectives;
(ii) meet agriculture water objectives;
(iii) accommodate anticipated growth and economic development; and
(iv) provide adequate flow to sustain the Great Salt Lake, the Great Salt Lake's
wetlands, and other ecological functions in the Great Salt Lake's watershed; and
(f) address other matters identified in the work plan.
(3) The integrated water assessment shall include a water budget for the Great Salt
Lake and the Great Salt Lake's associated wetlands, including water flows needed to maintain
different lake levels under different scenarios, taking into consideration water quality,
ecological needs, economic benefits, and public health benefits of the Great Salt Lake.
(4) In developing and implementing the integrated water assessment, the division shall:
(a) consult and coordinate with other state, local, regional, and federal governmental
entities, water users, and other stakeholders; and
(b) coordinate with, and where appropriate, consider or incorporate other planning
efforts, assessments, studies, or reports relevant to the Great Salt Lake watershed.
Section 3. Section 
73-10g-403
 is enacted to read:
 73-10g-403.
Work plan.
(1) (a) By no later than November 30, 2023, and before developing the integrated water
assessment under Section 
73-10g-402
, the division shall create a plan for developing and
implementing the integrated water assessment.
(b) In creating the work plan, the division shall consult with the entities described in
Subsection 
73-10g-402
(4)(a).
(2) The work plan shall include in relationship to the Great Salt Lake watershed:
(a) a synthesis of available information, literature, and data, and an assessment of
scientific, technical, measurement, and other informational needs, relating to:
(i) water quantity, water quality, water use, and water demand;
(ii) improving quantification and quality of data for:
(A) surface and groundwater water diversions;
(B) depletions; and
(C) return flow;
(iii) developing, downscaling, or otherwise updating models and assessment tools to
improve understanding of water supply, water use, and water availability;
(iv) understanding changing watershed conditions, including changes in climate,
evapotranspiration, and other water supply vulnerabilities; and
(v) other matters as the division determines to be appropriate; and
(b) a description of how the work plan shall be implemented to address the needs
described in Subsection (2)(a), including:
(i) prioritize proposed activities, such as monitoring data infrastructure needs, studies,
analyses, and development of tools necessary to implement the integrated water assessment;
(ii) an implementation schedule, with completion of an integrated water assessment by
no later than November 30, 2026;
(iii) recommendations and a cost assessment for the implementation of the work plan;
(iv) public engagement process;
(v) an agreed approach to facilitate integrated watershed management and coordination
across local, state, and federal agencies; and
(vi) other matters as the division determines to be appropriate.
Section 4. Section 
73-10g-404
 is enacted to read:
 73-10g-404.
Completion of integrated water assessment -- Reporting and
publishing.
(1) The division shall complete the integrated water assessment by no later than
November 30, 2026.
(2) (a) The division shall report at least annually on the progress and findings from the
integrated water assessment to:
(i) the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim Committee;
(ii) the Legislative Water Development Commission; and
(iii) the Great Salt Lake Advisory Council.
(b) The division shall publish a report provided under Subsection (2)(a) on the
division's website.
(3) The division shall publish a final report on an integrated water assessment by no
later than December 31, 2027.
Section 5. Section 
73-10g-405
 is enacted to read:
 73-10g-405.
Great Salt Lake related post-construction storm water management.
(1) As used in this section:
(a) "Storm water" means the same as that term is defined in Section 
19-5-108.5
.
(b) "Storm water permit" means the same as that term is defined in Section 
19-5-108.5
.
(2) (a) As part of the integrated water assessment, the division shall study the impact of
low impact development best management practices associated with post-construction
retention storm water permit requirements on the water budget of the Great Salt Lake.
(b) As part of the study under this section, the division shall:
(i) coordinate with the Division of Water Quality; and
(ii) when appropriate, seek information from the United States Environmental
Protection Agency.
(3) Notwithstanding Section 
73-10g-404
, the division shall complete the study required
by this section and issue a final report to the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment
Interim Committee by no later than the November 2023 interim meeting of the Natural
Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim Committee.
Section 6. 
Appropriation.
The following sums of money are appropriated for the fiscal year beginning July 1,
2022, and ending June 30, 2023. These are additions to amounts previously appropriated for
fiscal year 2023. Under the terms and conditions of Title 63J, Chapter 1, Budgetary Procedures
Act, the Legislature appropriates the following sums of money from the funds or accounts
indicated for the use and support of the government of the state of Utah.
ITEM 1
To Department of Natural Resources -- Water Resources
From General Fund, One-time
$5,000,000
Schedule of Programs:
Planning $5,000,000
The Legislature intends that the Division of Water Resources use this one-time
appropriation to develop and implement an integrated surface and ground water assessment for
the Great Salt Lake watershed required by Title 73, Chapter 10g, Part 4, Great Salt Lake
Watershed Integrated Water Assessment, enacted in this bill. The appropriation is nonlapsing.