Salt Lake City (April 17, 2025) — Utah Department of Natural Resources Executive Director Joel Ferry has named Darlene Batatian as the new State Geologist and director for the Utah Geological Survey, effective today. Batatian replaces Bill Keach, who retired earlier this month after serving as the agency’s director and State Geologist for six years. “Darlene’s professional experience is expansive,
Salt Lake City (April 17, 2025) — Over 100 million gallons of water will be saved each year through landscape conversions in the 2024 Landscape Incentive Program. This vital initiative, led by the Utah Division of Water Resources and Central Utah, Jordan Valley, Washington County, and Weber Basin Water Conservancy Districts, empowers residents and businesses to save water while reducing
SALT LAKE CITY (March 27, 2025) – Utah is grappling with varied water conditions. While recent storms have brought the statewide snow water equivalent to 82% of normal peak for the year, southern Utah continues to trend much below normal. “We are seeing our snow water equivalent decline as the state warms up,” Jonathan Jennings, meteorologist at the Utah Division of Water Resources,
SALT LAKE CITY (March 18, 2025) — Each year, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources captures big game animals to perform important health assessments and to place GPS collars on the animals to learn more about their migration patterns and survival rates. This winter, a record 1,901 big game animals were captured, providing important data about big game herds across
SALT LAKE CITY (March 12, 2025) – The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands is sending two task forces to Texas to assist with wildland firefighting efforts in the state. The two task forces are traveling to Texas on a severity assignment to assist the local firefighting resources due to heightened fire activity in Texas. One task force consists
SALT LAKE CITY (Feb. 18, 2025) – Utah’s snowpack has raised concerns among water managers. The state’s snowpack sits at 93% of normal, with two southern Utah basins recording less than 50% of normal snow water equivalent (SWE). Extreme drought has reappeared in southwestern Utah for the first time since March 2023. “While we still have some time before our
SALT LAKE CITY (Feb. 18, 2025) — The state of Utah and the Navajo Nation are celebrating the finalization of a landmark water rights agreement. On Jan. 31, 2025, the state confirmed and quantified water rights – totalling 81,500 acre-feet per year – now belong to the Navajo Nation in Utah. A formal ceremony will be held on Feb. 19,
SALT LAKE CITY (Jan. 23, 2025) — The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has been awarded up to roughly $37.2 million in federal grants that would help benefit fish and wildlife in southeastern Utah through several habitat improvements projects. The awarded grants were announced Friday as part of the first round of funded projects from the Bureau of Reclamation’s Upper Basin Environmental
SALT LAKE CITY (Jan. 13, 2025) – Gov. Spencer J. Cox administered the oath of office to 140 officers in the newly created Utah Department of Natural Resources Division of Law Enforcement during a ceremony Monday morning at the Capitol Rotunda. “This unification will improve the delivery of law enforcement and public safety services while safeguarding the treasured cultural, natural and outdoor
Salt Lake City (Jan. 9, 2025) — Utah Department of Natural Resources Executive Director Joel Ferry named Riley Peck as the new director for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, effective Monday, Jan. 13. A resident of Eagle Mountain, Utah County, Peck started working for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in 2006 as a native aquatics technician. In 2009,
