Water and Power Board

Responsibilities of the Board/Division of Water Resources are:?A. Protect Utah?s Rights to Interstate Waters - The director of the division is Utah?s?Interstate Streams Commissioner and helps protect Utah?s rights in interstate streams from?infringement by the federal government or other states. Utah is a party to interstate compacts on?the Colorado and Bear rivers. The Board with the concurrence of the governor appoints?commissioners to serve on the Bear River Commission. The division is associated with several?interstate and state/federal organizations including the Western States Water Council, Upper?Colorado River Commission, Bear River Commission, Colorado River Basin Salinity Control?Forum, National Water Resources Association and the Colorado River Water Users Association.??B. Comprehensive State Water Planning - The division formulated a State Water Plan,?published in 1990, and has developed eleven individual river basin plans through a coordinated?process to evaluate existing water resources in the state, assess future needs and determine water related issues, and recommend how and by whom they can be resolved. The plan identifies?programs and practices of state and federal agencies, water users groups, and environmental?interests and describes the state?s current and future water-related needs. The basin plans are?continually updated using current population and demographic projections, hydrologic data, river?basin simulations, water supply and demand models, and water-related land use inventories. The?plans are reviewed and approved by the Board.??C. Weather Modification (Cloud Seeding) - The 1973 Weather Modification Act?instructed the Division of Water Resources to authorize, sponsor and develop weather?modification projects that conform to state water planning objectives.??D. Administer State Funds to Investigate, Design and Construct Water Development and?Conservation Projects - The Division and the Board of Water Resources administer thete existing state?s?Revolving Construction Fund, Cities Wa ter Loan Fund, and Conservation and Development?Fund that are available to and have been used by cities and towns, private irrigation companies,?water conservancy or improvement districts and others to help pay for construction of dams and?reservoirs, canals, wells, pipelines, sprinkler irrigation systems, and culinary and dual water?systems. Since 1947, the state has invested more than $356 million in more than 1,100 cost share?projects costing more than $708 million to construct. Projects are located in all of Utah?s?29 counties. To optimize the availability of funding for the overall water development and?conservation program of the state, project sponsors are required to share in the cost of their?projects and repay board funds.??E. Water Conservation and Education - The division develops and distributes water?conservation and Education instructional materials to teachers and students in Utah?s public?schools. A statewide Youngxisting Artists? Water Education Poster Contest for grades kindergarten?through sixth grade, started in 1984, is offered to more than 10,000 classrooms each year in?conjunction with Water Education Month in October. The division also promotes Water Fairs?that involve fourth and fifth grade students and is teamed with the National Project WET (Water?Education for Teachers). To promote water conservation, the division supports the nonprofit?Utah Water Conservation Forum, evaluates water conservation plans submitted by cities and?districts, and works with local water agencies, citizens and professional groups to develop and?implement water conservation programs. The division promotes modification of state and local?laws, ordinances and regulations for efficient water use.??Retrieved from http://www.water.utah.gov/mission/history.pdf May 23, 2008