Bear Lake, Utah

Utah PROJECTS

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  • Salinity Load Assessment

• NAWQA Program
  • Great Salt Lake Basins

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USGS IN YOUR STATE

USGS Water Science Centers are located in each state.

Statewide Water Use in Utah

Project Number: 97169GU
Project Chief: Lawrence Spangler, USGS Salt Lake City, Utah
Cooperator:
Period of Project: October 2006 to September 2010

PROBLEM

Utah waters are under stress from increasing demands for domestic, industrial, agricultural, and other uses and from demands for greater protection of water quality. Competition for water dictates that available supplies are matched with uses most beneficial to the common good. Information is being collected describing quantity and quality of available water, but relatively little information is being collected describing water use. Without adequate information on uses of water, decision makers cannot resolve many critical water problems such as water-quality residuals, environmental impact, energy development, and resources allocations.

OBJECTIVES

To provide water-use information for the optimum utilization and management of the State's water resources for the overall benefit of the people of Utah and the United States. This program will collect, store, and disseminate water-use data to complement data on availability and quality of the State's water resources and to develop and operate a system to handle the data. The system will be responsive to the data needs of local users, the Geological Survey, and other Federal agencies.

APPROACH

For the 2005 National compilation major withdrawals for public supply, thermoelectric, mining, and industrial use will be obtained from the Division of Water Rights. Self-supplied domestic use will be calculated. Ground-water withdrawals for irrigation are compiled by Utah WSC technicians, and aquaculture withdrawals will be obtained from the Division of Wildlife Resources. Livestock withdrawals will be calculated from pre-determined coefficients. Surface-water withdrawals for irrigation will be determined by using a GIS-based model developed by Utah State for the 2000 compilation. Data for the model will need to be updated to 2005. Public supply domestic deliveries and power generated by thermoelectric plants will be determined. Reclaimed wastewater for industrial and irrigation use also will be determined. Population data by county will be obtained from census information and compared with population served as reported by the Division of Water Rights.

PRODUCTS

Water Use in the United States