December 21, 2022
The Colorado River Basin is a vital source of municipal and agricultural water for Utah, supplying over a quarter of all water used in the state. However, the prolonged
drought in the basin and a changing climate have created an urgent need for the efficient use of Utah’s share of the Colorado River as supplies shrink and critical reservoir
elevations decline.
In 2021, Brad Wilson, Speaker of the Utah House of Representatives, and Stuart Adams, President of the Utah Senate, co-sponsored the Colorado River Authority of Utah Act
(HB 297) creating the Authority and its broad mission to “protect, conserve, use and develop Utah’s waters of the Colorado River system.” 63M-14-102 et seq.
The Authority held its first Board meeting on July 30, 2021, with a fully constituted Board, shortly after selecting an Executive Director, Director of Administration, and
Executive Assistant. The Authority staff began working temporarily in state office space in September 2021 until renovations at its permanent space were completed.
This Annual Report includes the major intrastate and interstate accomplishments of the Authority in its first year of operation, including; the development of a 5-year Management Plan and adoption of a Work Plan implementing the Plan in FY23, the creation, and implementation of Advisory Councils, and securing both the necessary updates to the Authority Act and critical appropriations to achieving our mission. Utah’s future depends upon a resilient water supply. Creating the Colorado River Authority of Utah marks a significant step toward promoting a sustainable Colorado River Basin for many future generations of Utahns.