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Starting July 1, 2026, this bill moves the Colorado River Authority of Utah — the state body that manages Utah's interests in Colorado River water — from the Governor's Office into the Department of Natural Resources, and makes several structural changes to how the authority operates. The authority's membership expands from seven to ten members, adding the state engineer and the Department of Natural Resources executive director as nonvoting members, while removing the governor's direct representative and replacing the previous "State of Utah Area" with a newly defined Southeastern Area covering Garfield, Grand, San Juan, and Wayne counties. Beginning in 2027, area representatives will be nominated by regional water conservancy districts but appointed by the governor with Senate confirmation, replacing the prior system where those districts made appointments directly. The bill also shortens the river commissioner's term from six to four years, gives the governor authority to appoint the river commissioner with Senate consent, allows the river commissioner to receive compensation for the first time, shifts hiring authority for the authority's executive director from the chair to the Department of Natural Resources executive director, eliminates the Colorado River Authority's dedicated restricted fund, and expands the authority's powers to include entering contracts, awarding grants, leasing water rights, and funding Colorado River infrastructure.