Utah Division of Water Rights

08/27/2026

Utah water-right holders have a new option for managing certain existing water rights.

Under Utah Code § 73-3-30.3, a Dedicated Water Application allows qualifying uses to be added to an existing water right without changing the existing elements of the underlying right.

Dedicated water may be used for instream flows, use on sovereign lands or qualifying reservoir deliveries within the Colorado River System.

Swipe through to learn how Dedicated Water Applications work, who can apply and what happens after approval.

For more information, visit the Division of Water Rights website.

08/26/2026

This year’s Employee Appreciation Summer Picnic gave staff a chance to come together, recognize the work happening across Water Rights and look back on what we’ve accomplished over the past year.

The afternoon included food, games and activities, along with an opportunity to recognize employees reaching important service milestones.

Congratulations to this year’s service award recipients:

5 years — Anna Doyle, Tristan Palmer, Shelly Nazer, Ryan Furlong, Richard Evans, Levi Manley, Jacob Wright and Angela Sizemore

10 years — Paula Martin, Locke Hahne and Brandon Mellor

15 years — Blake Bingham

25 years — Scott Zufelt

Thank you to everyone across the Division for the work you do throughout the year, and congratulations to those recognized for their years of service. Here are a few moments from this year’s picnic.

08/11/2026

Utah State Engineer and Division of Water Rights Director Teresa Wilhelmsen, P.E., has been appointed to the Colorado River Authority of Utah Board.

Wilhelmsen is one of four new board members, joining Dustin Jansen, Brian Martinez and Roger Pearson. Together, the new members bring experience in water rights administration, tribal governance, regional water planning and river recreation.

Wilhelmsen has served as Utah’s State Engineer since 2020 and has worked with the Division of Water Rights since 1997. She also represents Utah on several interstate water organizations, including as an Alternate Commissioner for the Upper Colorado River Commission.

“I look forward to contributing my experience as State Engineer and Director of the Division of Water Rights to our collective efforts and engaging in productive, collaborative discussions to ensure the sustainable management of our vital water resources,” Wilhelmsen said.

The Colorado River Authority of Utah works with Colorado River Basin states and partners to protect Utah’s interests in the Colorado River system.

Congratulations to Teresa and the other newly appointed board members.

08/03/2026

After heavy storms hit the Cottonwood Fire burn scar, debris flows impacted multiple dams across central Utah, including Three Creeks Reservoir. Division of Water Rights engineers worked alongside irrigation companies, local officials, emergency responders, and consultants to assess damage, monitor conditions, and protect critical water infrastructure.

From on-the-ground inspections to helicopter access and real-time monitoring, this response highlighted the teamwork required to keep Utah's communities and water infrastructure safe.

Recovery efforts continue, and the Division will remain engaged as repairs and monitoring move forward.

07/31/2026

The Bureau of Reclamation has released the Final Environmental Impact Statement outlining an adaptive decision framework for Post-2026 Operational Guidelines and Strategies for Lake Powell and Lake Mead. The framework will guide operating decisions over the next 10 years to ensure reliable operations and the flexibility to respond to changing conditions and preserves the opportunity for the Basin to continue working towards consensus agreements

The framework will be used to develop operating guidelines for Lake Powell and Lake Mead in anticipated two-year intervals. This adaptive approach provides a transparent process for making operational decisions and allows Reclamation the flexibility to use the best available information when responding to hydrological conditions.

To learn more about the Final Environmental Impact Statement, visit https://ow.ly/wOYK50ZvckE

📸: Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Southern Utah. Photo by Amy Washuta

07/31/2026

"I'm grateful that the department has and will consider a hydrologic solution to the problem, not simply a demand solution ... I'm grateful that the statement recognizes clearly a system that's based on what water is available, not what water is demanded." ~Gene Shawcroft

COLORADO RIVER UPDATE: Arizona, California and Nevada would take significantly less water from the Colorado River under a new proposal announced Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

For now, the plan does not require mandatory water cuts for Colorado, Utah, New Mexico or Wyoming.

LAKE POWELL LOVERS: The plan would also allow annual releases between 5 million and 12 million acre-feet from Lake Powell, the basin’s second-largest reservoir. Under the 10-year federal framework, water management decisions will be made every two years.

The proposal is considered a temporary solution as Western states continue negotiating how to manage the Colorado River's shrinking water supply.

FULL STORY IN THE COMMENTS.

07/27/2026

Our Deputy Engineer Blake Bingham - at it again - helping to educate others about how the Utah Division of Water Rights has been working to measure water and deliver more of it to the Great Salt Lake.

Ever wonder how water actually makes its way to the Great Salt Lake?

At the Great Salt Lake Solutions Exchange, Blake Bingham with the Utah Division of Water Rights shared a great explainer on how Utah’s water rights system works — including a detail that surprises a lot of people: saving water by using less doesn’t always mean more water reaches the lake.

That’s because water that isn’t used often flows downstream and gets used by someone else along the way. So real progress for the lake comes from a specific kind of savings — reducing what’s actually consumed, not just what’s diverted.

Blake also shared a tool anyone can use to see how much water has been dedicated to the Great Salt Lake so far — transparency that helps everyone understand where things stand.

Watch the full talk from the Solutions Exchange, co-hosted by the Great Salt Lake Commissioner’s Office and Great Salt Lake Alliance: youtube link below

07/17/2026

Work with purpose. Live with adventure.

The Utah Division of Water Rights is looking for an Engineer II/III to join our team in Richfield, Utah.

This is more than an engineering job—it's an opportunity to work throughout Central Utah, help manage the Sevier River system, conduct field investigations, and protect one of Utah's most valuable resources.

If you're ready to combine engineering, public service, and the outdoors, we'd love to hear from you.

📍 Richfield, Utah
📅Applications close July 31, 2026

Apply today through the link in our bio or visit the State of Utah Careers website.

06/30/2026

Building strong partnerships is an important part of managing Utah's water rights.

Recently, staff met with Ed Vidmar, Spanish Fork River Commissioner, and Lynn Swenson, President of Southeast Irrigation Company to discuss local diversions and conveyances, answer questions, and provide guidance on the change application process.

Conversations like these strengthen communication with local water users, support collaborative problem-solving, and help ensure Utah's water resources continue to be managed responsibly and transparently.

(Pictured, left to right: Division of Water Rights Engineer Cayla Martin, Hydrologic Scientist III Lindsey Kaneko, Spanish Fork Deputy Commissioner Red Robinson, Spanish Fork River Commissioner Ed Vidmar, and Hydrologic Scientist Rachel Struhs. Also, thank you to Regional Engineer Ryan Hamilton also participating.)

06/24/2026

The Utah Division of Water Rights will host a public meeting on July 16, 2026, to discuss the Orem Subdivision Proposed Determination as part of the Utah Lake and Jordan River General Adjudication.

The Proposed Determination is the State Engineer’s recommendation to the court regarding water rights within the Orem Subdivision. The area includes 1,043 water rights and 992 owners or claimants.

This meeting is an opportunity for water users, property owners, and interested members of the public to learn more about the adjudication process, understand how the Proposed Determination was developed, and ask questions about what it may mean for their water rights.

📅 Thursday, July 16, 2026
⏰ 6:00–7:00 p.m.

📍 Orem Junior High School Auditorium
650 W Jaguar Ave.
Orem, UT 84057

💻 Attend online:
waterrights.utah.gov/publicmeetings

Individuals who disagree with the Proposed Determination may file a written objection. The deadline to file objections is September 23, 2026.

Learn more at waterrights.utah.gov