FILE: Rocky Mountain Power’s contracts to deliver irrigation water serve 150,000 acres of farm land along the Bear River in Utah and Idaho, which produce crops valued at some $45 million annually.
A report to Gov. Spencer Cox and the Utah Legislature summarizing many of Utah’s most critical land, water and air concerns was released Thursday in Salt Lake City by Utah State University’s Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air (JQL).
More than 40 collaborating authors were involved including USU researchers, state agency partners and community leaders.
In addition to two special sections on the Colorado River and Utah’s energy, the report deals with key 2023 concerns related to land, water and air topics.
“The work we do in the institute is based on the premise that when we know better, we can do better,” said JQL Executive Director Brian Steed.
Steed, along with USU President Elizabeth Cantwell and executive director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources Joel Ferry all spoke at the event Thursday.
In 2021 the Utah legislature established the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute through a resolution expressing support for the institute while outlining its role and mandating its responsibilities; this report helps fulfill part of that mandate.
Five of the report’s authors were featured during a panel discussion Thursday: Jeff Taylor (Center for Anticipatory Intelligence), Jessica Schad (sociology & anthropology), Sarah Null (watershed sciences), Randy Martin (civil & environmental engineering), and Darren McAvoy (wildlife resources).
The full report is online at ilwa.usu.edu.
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