House advances 'Utah Waterways' to coordinate statewide water messaging and private funding

On Feb. 6 the Utah House passed HB 307, a bill to establish Utah Waterways — a coordinating commission intended to centralize public messaging and leverage private funding for statewide water conservation and education.

Representative Musselman, sponsor of the bill, said the idea originated from the Speaker’s Great Salt Lake Summit and is modeled in part on Utah Clean Air Partnership (UCARE). Musselman described Utah Waterways as a “one‑stop shop” to guide constituents through grant and conservation programs and to tailor messaging for different regions of the state. He listed private five‑year commitments from companies including Rio Tinto, Ivory Homes, Zions Bank and Intermountain Health as examples of leverage the commission could marshal.

A third substitute added a representative from rural Utah to the board and required reporting to the Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environmental Interim Committee, addressing concerns raised by rural lawmakers that initial language lacked rural representation. Representative Scott Chiu presented the substitute, saying the change was made after conversations with rural constituents and is intended as a friendly improvement.

Supporters emphasized the commission’s role in statewide collaboration and public education; a sponsor said the panel would include directors (or appointees) from the Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Resources and Department of Environmental Quality, among others, plus water‑district and business members. The House approved the third substitute and passed the bill 71‑0; the measure will be transmitted to the Senate.