Message from the executive director

From agricultural lands to wetlands, from mountains to mines, the issues facing Utah’s land, water, and air present some of the most critical challenges for leadership today.

Prolonged drought has drawn down every major water source in the state, with many rivers and lakes at their lowest level in history. Air quality remains a major concern for residents— from ozone, other pollutants, and from dust produced from the dry lakebed of the Great Salt Lake. Land issues remain a perennial concern with traditional agricultural lands increasingly converted for development, and leaders continuing to work toward fair-handed management of the vast swaths of federal lands in the state.

The good news is that none of these issues are intractable—sound policy decisions can produce positive outcomes for the management of the state’s natural resources. In order to develop solid long-term decisions, policymakers need reliable, research-based information. The Institute for Land, Water & Air is ready to meet that moment, thanks to the leadership at Utah State University and the generosity of the Janet Quinney Lawson Foundation and other donors.

This report details some of the most pressing issues facing the state. It is not intended to be comprehensive, but rather to highlight issues that require nuanced understanding at this time. It pulls from the rich expertise of researchers and scientists at Utah State University, people who have worked, sometimes for years, to understand complex issues in depth.

In addition to chapters covering land, water, and air, this year’s report includes two full chapters focused on agriculture and the Great Salt Lake. These specific issues are at critical points, in which management decisions can have important impacts. Likewise, a lack of action will have consequences now and for the future. Agriculture has been woven into the history of our state, and will almost certainly play a major role in its future—yet, it faces tremendous strain as increased demands on water resources and a diminished supply create changing incentives on how, when, and what to grow. The shrinking Great Salt Lake has become a driving issue as leaders seek answers on how much more water is needed, and where it will come from, for the lake and surrounding land and wetlands to continue to function.

BRIAN STEED

Executive Director

Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air

We do not offer easy or clear-cut answers in this report, but we offer perspective, information, and sometimes urgency in the places that we know require swift action. We are committed to the notion that by working together, by sharing what we know, we can move forward as a community and as stewards of the resources that will become our legacy.