This bill addresses leasing of water.
This bill:
Support
Sustainable Future
AI-generated summary, not yet reviewed by Better Utah staff. Please consult the bill text.
Utah's Great Salt Lake has been shrinking for decades, and this bill creates a new state program specifically designed to get more water flowing to it. The bill establishes the Great Salt Lake Preservation Program and a five-member Great Salt Lake Preservation Board, which is authorized to lease agricultural water — water currently used to irrigate farmland within the Great Salt Lake basin — and redirect it to benefit the lake, with lease rates set annually based on alfalfa hay prices and the ability to require repayment from lease violators. The bill also protects leased water in transit by prohibiting other water users from diverting or impounding it before it reaches its approved destination, and it creates a separate streamlined process for the state engineer to prioritize certain other water-leasing applications involving irrigation, industrial, or municipal water rights. The program is set to sunset in 2030, the board must publicly report each year on water delivered and money spent, and the bill appropriates $2,750,000 from the General Fund to launch the program in fiscal year 2027.
Current version: HB0410S01 (Substitute)
Introduction
Jan 28
House Rules
House Committee
Feb 5
House Floor Vote
Feb 17
Senate Rules
Feb 18
Senate Committee
Feb 24
Senate 2nd Reading
Feb 25
Senate 3rd Reading
Mar 4
House Concurrence
Mar 4
Governor Signed
Mar 23
IntroductionJan 28
House Rules
House CommitteeFeb 5
House Floor VoteFeb 17
Senate RulesFeb 18
Senate CommitteeFeb 24
Senate 2nd ReadingFeb 25
Senate 3rd ReadingMar 4
House ConcurrenceMar 4
Governor SignedMar 23
This bill addresses leasing of water.
This bill:
AI-generated summary, not yet reviewed by Better Utah staff. Please consult the bill text.
Utah's Great Salt Lake has been shrinking for decades, and this bill creates a new state program specifically designed to get more water flowing to it. The bill establishes the Great Salt Lake Preservation Program and a five-member Great Salt Lake Preservation Board, which is authorized to lease agricultural water — water currently used to irrigate farmland within the Great Salt Lake basin — and redirect it to benefit the lake, with lease rates set annually based on alfalfa hay prices and the ability to require repayment from lease violators. The bill also protects leased water in transit by prohibiting other water users from diverting or impounding it before it reaches its approved destination, and it creates a separate streamlined process for the state engineer to prioritize certain other water-leasing applications involving irrigation, industrial, or municipal water rights. The program is set to sunset in 2030, the board must publicly report each year on water delivered and money spent, and the bill appropriates $2,750,000 from the General Fund to launch the program in fiscal year 2027.
Support
Sustainable Future
Motion: Favorable Recommendation
Motion: Favorable Recommendation
Governor Signed
Lieutenant Governor's office for filing
House/ to Governor
Executive Branch - Governor
House/ received enrolled bill from Printing
Clerk of the House
House/ enrolled bill to Printing
Clerk of the House
Enrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
Clerk of the House
Last updated Aug 29, 2026, 5:26 PM