Water Judges
The Utah Judicial Council previously approved a rule allowing for water judges to serve at the district court level. The rule went into effect on November 1, 2022, and the Council has approved nine...
View ArticlePublic Meeting Concerning the Groundwater Management Plan for Goshen Valley
The Utah Division of Water Rights has set a public meeting to discuss the groundwater resources, appropriation policy, and groundwater management plan for Goshen Valley. The following information is...
View ArticlePublic Meeting Regarding Appropriation Policy for Bear River Basin
The Utah Division of Water Rights has set a public meeting to discuss the appropriation policy for the Bear River Basin in Box Elder County (Area 29). The policy change is being driven in part by...
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Public Meeting Concerning the General Adjudication in Francis / Woodland Area
The Utah Division of Water Rights has set a public meeting to discuss the general adjudication of water rights in the Francis/Woodland area in the Provo River Division of the Utah Lake/Jordan River...
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Public Meeting Concerning the General Adjudication in Upper Provo River Area
The Utah Division of Water Rights has set a public meeting to discuss the general adjudication of water rights in the Upper Provo River area in the Provo River Division of the Utah Lake/Jordan River...
View Article2023 Legislative Preview of Water Bills
The 2023 session of the Utah Legislature is (once again) going to be a very busy session for the water community. There are a number of water bills that are being proposed, which are summarized below....
View ArticlePublic Meeting Regarding Appropriation Policy for Bear River Basin
The Utah Division of Water Rights has set a public meeting to discuss the appropriation policy for the Bear River Basin in Cache County (Area 25). The policy change is being driven in part by Governor...
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Ripple Effect Podcast - Episode 118
I was recently invited by my colleague, Emily E. Lewis, to join her on the Ripple Effect podcast to discuss the water bills that are being considered by the Utah legislature in the 2023 session. To...
View ArticlePublic Meeting Regarding Appropriation Policy for Weber and Davis Counties
The Utah Division of Water Rights has set a public meeting to discuss the appropriation policy for the Weber Delta Sub-Area of the East Shore Area of the Great Salt Lake (Area 31 and Area 35) in Davis...
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Podcast: 2023 Legislative Wrap-Up
Last week, I was a guest on the Ripple Effect podcast to talk about the many water-related bills that passed (and failed) in the 2023 session of the Utah Legislature. To listen to the podcast, click here.
View Article2023 Legislature: Water-Related Bills That Didn't Pass
These are the water-related bills that were presented at the 2023 legislative session but that failed to pass.HB 188 (1st Substitute) - Golf Related Water ModificationsRep. Douglas R. WeltonHouse Bill...
View Article2023 Legislature: Water-Related Senate Bills That Passed
These are the Senate bills that passed in the 2023 legislative session.SB 34 (1st Substitute) - Water Infrastructure Funding StudySen. Daniel McCaySenate Bill 34 (1st Substitute) directs the Department...
View Article2023 Legislature: Water-Related House Bills That Passed
These are the House bills that passed during the 2023 legislative session.HB 33 (1st Substitute) - Water Related Liability AmendmentsRep. Carl R. AlbrechtHouse Bill 33 (1st Substitute) amends Utah Code...
View ArticleWater Rights in Utah Seminar
Attorneys, engineers, city planners, and government officials - If you want a good basic-to-intermediate course on Utah water rights and water law, the "Water Rights in Utah" seminar is a great place...
View ArticleAppointment of Great Salt Lake Commissioner
Governor Spencer Cox has appointed Brian Steed to serve as the first Great Salt Lake Commissioner. The Commissioner position was created by 2023 House Bill 491. The Commissioner is tasked with creating...
View ArticleUtah Stream Access Coalition v. VR Acquisitions LLC
The Utah Supreme Court recently issued its decision in Utah Stream Access Coalition v. VR Acquisitions LLC. This case focused on one question: “whether there was a 19th-century basis for an easement...
View ArticlePublic Meeting to Discuss Increased Fees
The Utah Division of Water Rights has announced a public meeting on September 5, 2023 to discuss a proposed increase to the fees associated with Reports of Conveyance. The current fee is $40 per Report...
View ArticlePark City Premier Properties v. Silver Summit Estate
The Utah Court of Appeals recently issued its decision in Park City Premier Properties LLC v. Silver Summit Estates. The central issue in this case was whether a developer was required to install a...
View ArticlePublic Meeting Regarding Proposed Determination for Big Cottonwood Creek Area
The Utah Division of Water Rights recently published the Proposed Determination for the Big Cottonwood Creek area (Book 57-18). The Division has set a public meeting to discuss the Proposed...
View ArticleMetropolitan Water District v. Sorf
The Utah Court of Appeals recently issued its decision in the case of Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake & Sandy v. Sorf. The primary issue in the case was enforcement of an easement for a...
View Article2024 Legislative Preview
The 2024 general session of the Utah Legislature begins next week. Here is a summary of the water-related bills that have been released so far. As the session goes along, additional water bills will...
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Podcast - 2024 Legislative Preview
I was a guest on the Ripple Effect podcast to talk about some of the water-related bills that will be considered at the 2024 session of the Utah Legislature. To listen to the podcast, click here.
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Podcast - 2024 Legislative Recap
I was a guest on the Ripple Effect podcast to talk about some of the water-related bills passed (and did not pass) during the 2024 session of the Utah Legislature. To listen to the podcast, click here.
View Article2024 Legislature - Water Bills That Did Not Pass
There were a number of water-related bills that were considered during the 2024 legislative session that were ultimately not passed. Below are bill summaries (drafted by the water attorneys at Smith...
View Article2024 Legislature - Water Bills That Passed
There was a long list of water-related bills that were passed during the 2024 session of the Utah Legislature. Below are bills summaries (drafted by the water attorneys at Smith Hartvigsen) about these...
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