How Utah's 2026 legislative session reshaped water policy

Utah lawmakers convened for the 2026 legislative session, addressing critical water policy issues with a focus on the Great Salt Lake's ongoing desiccation. A significant piece of legislation, House Bill 76, was passed, mandating that large data centers notify water providers of their projected demands and report their actual water consumption to the state. Sponsored by Rep. Jill Koford, this bill, initially facing resistance in the Senate, was amended to apply only to new data centers before gaining approval from both chambers. Several other water-related bills were considered. House Bill 501, which aimed to increase water and sewer rates for cities and towns to a specific affordability threshold, ultimately failed to receive a Senate vote. House Concurrent Resolution 9 was passed, urging federal government assistance for the Great Salt Lake, and highlighting its economic and environmental importance. Lawmakers also advanced bills (HB 348 and HB 410) to streamline and encourage water right leases from agricultural users, a primary strategy for lake recovery, though HB 410 experienced amendments and a reduced budget. Further actions included HB 247, which expanded to address various Great Salt Lake issues, including dedicating brine shrimp industry revenue and providing a year for mineral extractors Cargill and Broken Arrow to secure new water rights following the closure of US Magnesium. House Joint Resolution 30 resolved a land dispute with the federal government over lakebed ownership at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. Additionally, House Bill 328, targeting nonfunctional turf irrigation in new developments, failed to pass, while HB 60 was passed to streamline the state engineer's water rights application process.