The state of Utah recognizes and is closely monitoring changing hydrology on the Colorado River. Because Utah’s citizens are among the millions who rely on the Colorado River, this is an issue of critical importance to our state and the West.
DNR Responds to Ute Tribe Water Claims
SALT LAKE CITY (Oct. 12, 2021) – Neither the State of Utah nor the Lake Powell Pipeline has taken the Ute Indian Tribe’s water rights. The tribe has long held a federally decreed water right for 144,000 acre-feet of depletion from the Colorado River system. The state has recognized and respected this water right and the tribe’s annual use of …
Ute Tribe Water Claims Dismissed
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sept. 22, 2021) – A federal judge dismissed claims in a lawsuit filed by the Ute Indian Tribe against the U.S. Department of Interior, the State of Utah, and the Central Utah Water Conservancy District. The Tribe alleged mismanagement of water-development projects in northeastern Utah.
The Colorado River is a Reliable Source of Water for Utah
Falling storage levels at both lakes Powell and Mead have highlighted the potential effects of climate change on the Colorado River, causing some to question its future viability as a reliable water supply source for the state of Utah.