Governor Cox Finalizes Landmark Agricultural Water Leasing Pact to Deliver 65,000 Acre-Feet to Great Salt Lake

SALT LAKE CITY, UT — Utah Governor Spencer Cox and the Utah Division of Water Resources announced the finalized execution of a historic multi-district agricultural water leasing agreement on Sunday morning, securing 65,000 acre-feet of conserved irrigation water for direct conveyance into the Great Salt Lake.

Water Leasing Mechanics and Farm Compensation

The agreement, funded through a $35-million allocation under the Utah Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Act, compensates participating family farmers and irrigation companies along the Bear River and Jordan River basins for implementing crop-switching, split-season irrigation, and automated canal piping.

Instead of diverting full late-summer water rights onto low-yield forage crops, participating agriculturalists allow conserved water to flow downstream through state-monitored telemetry streamgages directly into the lake's southern arm.

"This agreement proves that agricultural stewardship and urban water conservation can work together to protect our most vital environmental resource," Cox stated in Salt Lake City.

Ecological Restoration and Toxic Dust Mitigation

Hydrologists and public health researchers noted that raising the Great Salt Lake's elevation by over three feet is essential to submerge exposed lakebed sediments, preventing toxic airborne dust storms containing arsenic and heavy metals from blowing into the Salt Lake Valley and Davis County.

The Utah Farm Bureau praised the voluntary, market-based leasing model for preserving agricultural water property rights while supporting state environmental goals.

Streamflow Monitoring

State water engineers will verify dedicated downstream river deliveries throughout September using real-time ultrasonic flow sensors operated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).