Utah Demand Management Pilot Program
Conservation With a Purpose
To proactively plan for and respond to drought in the Colorado River Basin, Utah needs a water conservation program to help agricultural water users reduce consumption on a temporary, voluntary, compensated, and protected basis. Conservation undertaken in the program must both maintain viable agricultural communities, and support continued compliance with the 1922 Colorado River Compact.
The Utah Demand Management Pilot Program will test the application of Utah Code 73-3-30 (4) (as amended in 2023 through SB 144), which empowers the State Engineer to authorize and distribute conserved water in a qualifying program as confirmed by the Authority. The Program will be administered by the Authority in close coordination with other state water agencies and programs.
Program Objectives
![](https://cra.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Screenshot-2024-08-01-152533-1.png)
APPLICATION OPEN NOW
December 12, 2024 - January 15, 2025 5:00 PM MST
The Colorado River Authority of Utah is soliciting applications for pilot projects that result in reduced water depletion
including fallowing projects, lease change or storage forbearance projects, and irrigation system conversion projects.
Participation in the program will require filing a change application with the Division of Water Rights (DWRi) on the subject water rights, that will be used to distribute and account for the reduced depletion. This will help us test demand management, which requires shepherding/distribution of conserved water. The Authority will also be testing accounting for conserved water such that Utah could be eligible to receive “credit” for the savings that can be used to maintain 1922 Colorado River Compact compliance.
The three project types the Authority is soliciting for 2025 are:
1. Conducting a full or partial season fallowing project with a minimum of 40 acres enrolled;
2. Conducting an irrigation system conversion project (such as sprinkler to subsurface drip irrigation) with a minimum of 40 acres;
3. Conducting a storage forbearance / lease change of water shares project, with a minimum of 40 acre-feet of water shares enrolled.
If you wish to apply for one or more projects and/or would like additional information, contact Lily Bosworth (lbosworth
@utah.gov, 801-824-9037).
Late applications will not be accepted.
Program Team
The Authority selected Jacobs Engineering Group and their five sub-consultants through a competitive procurement process to support the Demand Management Pilot Program with four tasks:
1. Pilot Program Development Support
2. Pilot Program Administrative Support
3. Pilot Project Design Support
4. Pilot Program Implementation Support
Contact
Program manager: Lily Bosworth | (801) 824-9037 | [email protected]
Email Lily to be added to our email list to receive program updates.