ST. GEORGE, Utah — A silver lining in Utah's ongoing drought emerged during a meeting of the Colorado River Authority of Utah on Tuesday.
Most people in Washington County are apparently taking water conservation to heart.
"All the water conservation measures we’ve implemented in the last few years are showing," said Zach Renstrom, the general manager of the Washington County Water Conservancy District. "Even though our population is growing, our demand, our overall demand for water has actually plateaued. It’s good to see that."
In recent years, the St. George area has gotten very aggressive about water conservation. They have increased incentives for turf replacement; cities have enacted tough landscaping ordinances designed to be water-wise; St. George has discouraged new golf courses because of water issues; increased prices for water wasters; and showcased homes that have excellent design standards when it comes to water conservation.
The Washington County Water Conservancy District is leaning heavily into water re-use (while that's considered fine in the Colorado River system, it is a bad idea for the Great Salt Lake Basin which is why it's largely been prohibited).
Because of conservation and other efforts, the controversial Lake Powell Pipeline has been delayed by 20 years.
This article is published through the Colorado River Collaborative, a solutions journalism initiative supported by the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air at Utah State University. See all of our stories about how Utahns are impacted by the Colorado River at greatsaltlakenews.org/coloradoriver
