Latest news with #EnvisionUtah
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
The shape of Utah's water supply heading into the summer months
Utah's snowpack, which reached its peak late in March, suffered rapid depletion in April in most basins in the state to well-below normal precipitation. This culminates in a spring runoff that does not spin a good outcome. 'Resultingly, the water supply forecasts issued in this report predict substantially lower runoff volumes than those from last month,' according to the latest Utah Water Supply Outlook report issued this week by the Utah Snow Survey of the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The report said as of May 1, Utah's statewide snow water equivalent (SWE) was 64% of normal (39% lower than last year's May 1 value, and a 28% drop from last month) Utah's fickle weather has many residents concerned. A poll released earlier this year said slightly less than half of Utahns seem to believe the state has enough water to meet our needs today, but 57% doubt that we will have enough water 20 years from now, according to a new study of Utahns' perceptions and priorities regarding water. The study released in April and was conducted by Envision Utah in partnership with Utah Water Ways, the Utah Division of Water Resources and the Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner. Interestingly, 9 out of 10 respondents believe that they use less water than the average household, but 41% feel guilty for the amount of water they use on their landscaping. They also erroneously believed that more water is used statewide on indoor uses (like showering or washing dishes) than on outdoor irrigation and landscaping. At the time, Jason Brown, executive vice president of communications and education at Envision Utah, said a surprise takeaway from the survey is the worry by Utah residents that there will not be enough water to meet demand 20 years from now. 'To be honest, from a water conservation perspective, we were a little bit relieved that there's that much concern about the future because our water does sort of cycle from year to year, where one year we have a really dry year, we don't have a ton of snowpack, and then, you know, the next year we might have a lot more. It's easy to maybe get dismissive and say, 'You know what? It's going to be just fine.'' The latest numbers released in the NRCS report this week underscore the disparities that happen in how Mother Nature treats Utah when it comes to water. It shows: Extremely poor snowmelt runoff is forecasted for southern Utah, while northern Utah forecasts are more optimistic. Values range from 7% to 35% of average for the Southeastern Utah, Escalante-Paria, and Southwestern Utah regions, with the Upper Sevier only slightly better. Farther north, the Price-San Rafael and Duchesne basins have snowmelt runoff predictions in the 50% to 82% of average. Closer to the Wasatch Front, the forecast numbers vary widely; from as low as 28% of average for West Canyon Creek near Cedar Fort to as high as 93% of average for the Provo River at Woodland. Second only to Oregon, Utah is in the best overall condition for reservoir storage in the West, sitting at 83% of average, down only 4% from last year. While intermittent rainstorms this month have helped to delay the need for irrigation, the NRCS and other water watchers stress that conservation is vital to keep reservoir storage as stable as possible so there is enough carryover for next year. Michael Sanchez, spokesman for the Utah Division of Water Resources, said it is important for people to be vigilant. 'Conservation will be key as we move into summer. We do have a strong reservoir storage kind of throughout the state, but southern Utah is still struggling,' he said. Sanchez mentioned the drought declaration Utah Gov. Spencer Cox issued last month for 17 counties, stressing the need for conservation and the wise use of water. 'We just want to make sure everyone is still taking that conservation mindset to heart and still still using water as wisely as they can,' Sanchez said. The division has a useful tool on its website advising residents of the amount of water they for landscaping given a specific area's condition. .
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Will the tap run dry? Most Utahns worry that will be our reality
Slightly less than half of Utahns seem to believe the state has enough water to meet our needs today, but 57% doubt that we will have enough water 20 years from now, according to a new study of Utahns' perceptions and priorities regarding water. The study released Thursday was conducted by Envision Utah in partnership with Utah Water Ways, the Utah Division of Water Resources and the Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner. Other key findings include: Three out of four survey respondents were at least moderately concerned about water in Utah, and survey respondents rated water as the state's No. 2 priority behind housing/cost of living. Utahns are fairly split on whether or not their actions can make a difference through water conservation. Nine out of 10 respondents believe that they use less water than the average household, but 41% feel guilty for the amount of water they use on their landscaping. Survey respondents erroneously believe that more water is used statewide on indoor uses (like showering or washing dishes) than on outdoor irrigation and landscaping, but a majority see curbing outdoor water use as the most important way to reduce water use overall. The survey was conducted among 800 Utah residents in summer 2024. It found that Utahns seem to have a fairly sophisticated understanding of the role water plays in their quality of life — including hygiene, drinking water and food production as well as broader topics like the overall economy and outdoor recreation. Landscaping emerged in the survey as the No. 1 way to solve the water problem. Utah has made investments to make water-wise landscaping more attainable. More information can be found here. Some examples include savings of up to $150 to replace aging, high-water-use toilets with WaterSense-certified, water-conserving alternatives with a limit of two per household, and smart controller irrigation rebates of $100. Regionally, 63% of the state's population is qualified to receive up to $3 per square foot of incentive when they replace existing lawns with waterwise plants and other landscaping. Jason Brown, executive vice president of communications and education at Envision Utah, said a surprise takeaway from the survey is the worry by Utah residents that there will not be enough water to meet demand 20 years from now. 'To be honest, from a water conservation perspective, we were a little bit relieved that there's that much concern about the future because our water does sort of cycle from year to year, where one year we have a really dry year, we don't have a ton of snowpack, and then, you know, the next year we might have a lot more. It's easy to maybe get dismissive and say, 'You know what? It's going to be just fine.'' Brown said he believes those numbers represent an awakening among residents about the realities that come from living in Utah. 'I think what we see there is people recognizing that we're in a desert state and that water does seem to vary from our water levels in our communities and in the mountains and lakes and our snowpack,' he said. 'The reality is we are a desert state, and we are going to have to make some changes to how we use our water if we want to make sure that we have enough for the future. And so for people to be recognizing that this is going to be a challenge is honestly probably a good thing,' Brown said. 'It is probably a good place for us to be, living in the state that we live.' He said the groups were also surprised to learn that most people mistakenly believe indoor water consumption outpaces the water used on landscaping. 'There seems to be a perception that, you know water waste, or the most water that's being wasted or that's used is occurring inside people's homes when the reality is that our outdoor water use is generally a lot higher than what we use and waste indoors,' Brown said. With spring upon us, Brown reminded Utah residents that this is the perfect time for people to begin planning on changing up their landscaping preferences and taking advantage of the money that is available to help make that transition.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Poll: A third of Utahns say housing costs are so expensive they've considered moving out of state
The price of housing is causing a significant number of Utahns to think about leaving the state for some place that's more affordable, according to a new poll. Even though a majority of Utahns, 56%, say housing is too expensive but they aren't going anywhere, a third agreed with the statement, 'Housing is so expensive that I've considered moving out of state.' That sentiment was strongest among Utahns under 30, with 58% of those in that age group looking at a possible move to find affordable housing. The numbers were also higher among those who weren't born in Utah, or who have lived here less than 20 years. Just 6% of Utahns overall say housing is affordable in the state and another 5% aren't sure, according to results released Friday from a Utah Public Opinion Pulse Poll conducted by Phoenix-based Noble Predictive Insights The nonpartisan public opinion polling, market research, and data analytics firm said a total of 609 Utah registered voters were surveyed March 11-13 and that the poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points. 'The storm cloud in these numbers is that young voters and newer transplants — who drive economic progress and keep the state lively — say they're most likely to move,' David Byler, chief of research for Noble Predictive Insights, said. But, he added, 'The silver lining is that they don't want to move — and that people will stay if the state can get housing prices under control.' Keeping Utah's younger generations from having to leave the state to buy homes has been a priority of Gov. Spencer Cox and other state leaders. The governor's housing adviser, Steve Waldrip, has said housing has 'become a moral issue.' Affordable housing is the top issue for 21% of Utahns polled, ahead of every other option including inflation, health care, education, taxes, immigration, climate change and abortion. A majority of Utahns, 53%, selected affordable housing as one of their top three concerns. 'Cost is the key economic concern right now,' Byler said. 'Not unemployment. Not taxes. Cost. And voters are telling us that housing prices are driving the cost crisis.' The poll results were less decisive when it came to proposed solutions. Asked if they'd be willing to move further from their work if new, less expensive housing was built, 43% of Utahns said an additional half-hour commute was an acceptable tradeoff, but 35% said they wouldn't move and 22% weren't sure. And 49% of Utahns said they'd support building new apartments nearby to lower housing costs, but 32% were opposed and 19%, unsure. Support was higher in Salt Lake County, the poll found, but lower in Utah County. Byler said it's younger voters, newer transplants and families thinking about moving away from Utah due to housing costs who are 'the most willing to relocate within the state and/or support new apartment construction for more affordable housing.' Another poll, released by Envision Utah in January, showed more than two-thirds of Utahns believe the state is dealing with serious or even crisis-level housing issues. But there was disagreement over the cause, with only just over a third blaming the short supply.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Utah is overdue for a big earthquake. Are we prepared?
The five-year anniversary of the earthquake that hit Magna, other parts of Salt Lake County and reverberated around much of the state is Tuesday. The 5.7 magnitude earthquake caused extensive damage to buildings in Magna and at a trailer park elsewhere in the county. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured — COVID-19 had kids out of school — but the shaker exposed the vulnerabilities of out of date masonry structures, aging aqueducts and personal preparedness — or the lack of it. Envision Utah took a hard look at people's sentiments ahead of the five-year anniversary and detailed some interesting findings: Utahns are more concerned about the immediate, short-term effects of an earthquake rather than long-term damage to the economy or infrastructure. Many Utahns place a significant amount of responsibility on state and local governments to prepare the state for a major earthquake — and feel that more action is needed. Utahns view a major earthquake as a life-altering event with widespread destruction. Although the 'big one' is long overdue and likely to hit within the next 50 years, the occurrence of such a catastrophic event does not rise to the top level of people's concerns. Instead, an economic crash came first, followed by political unrest and a cyberattack. Earthquakes came next and was the top natural disaster people are worried about; then came wildfires, climate change and severe winter storms. Curiously, even mass shootings outranked concerns over flooding — which may be the result of Utah's protracted drought. Federal Emergency Management Agency modeling predicts more than 3,000 deaths, 9,300 people critically injured and 84,400 displaced households if a 7.0 magnitude earthquake were to hit Salt Lake County. More than 57,000 buildings in Salt Lake County would be extremely damaged or unsafe to enter and more than 300,000 households would be without potable water for 90 days. State emergency management officials said such an event would likely be the most costly natural disaster in U.S. history, but are people taking it seriously? This most recent probe by Envision Utah shows while people strongly disagree that an earthquake won't be as bad as expected (67%), it also noted that 50% of those surveyed say they have too many things on their mind or other pressing concerns to worry about an earthquake. 'We expected people might be a little skeptical about the seriousness of an earthquake. We thought people might assume it's not actually going to happen or that it's not actually going to be that bad,' said Jason Brown, vice president of education and communications for Envision Utah. 'But what we saw is that Utahns definitely are worried about a major earthquake. They just don't feel like they have the time or the energy to do everything it takes to be fully prepared — or to do things that require the community, like upgrading infrastructure'. Some Utah residents, according to the survey, said they believe communities will pull together to lessen an earthquake's impacts and agencies would step in. Here are some examples: 'Honestly, I think it would be OK. Community members would come together; it wouldn't be too bad.' 'It depends, but short-term, I would expect there would be help from people—people helping their neighbors, people from outside coming in to help. Long-term would have to rebuild infrastructure and housing, the economy. A lot of rebuilding would have to happen.' 'I think that most areas, as far as government and emergency services, are pretty prepared. I think they would be overwhelmed. Hospitals maybe less prepared. I think that most of them will probably be hopeful. I think the outcome would be short-term. I think that it would be handled very well.' 'It's certainly not a huge group of people who think we'll be OK after a major earthquake. But I think that's probably coming from experiences that a lot of us have had when there's a big storm and neighbors come together to help neighbors,' Brown said. 'It feels good to have that sense of community. The problem is that this is not on the same scale at all. The devastation we'll see after a major earthquake is probably much closer to the devastation in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.' The survey took place last summer, involving 812 residents who live in or around the Wasatch Front.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Utahns agree housing is a problem. What they don't agree on is why, new survey finds
More than two-thirds of Utahns believe the state is dealing with serious or even crisis-level housing issues, according to a new survey from Envision Utah. But they're not so sure why. 'They're kind of all over the map,' said Ari Bruening, Envision Utah's president and CEO. 'No. 1, there's just a lot of confusion. Why is (housing) so expensive? People just don't really know and they point to a wide variety of causes.' The nonprofit, focused on growth-related issues, surveyed 601 Utah adults along the Wasatch Front, the Wasatch Back and in southwest Utah last September, asking them to rate the significance of more than a dozen potential causes of the state's housing problem. More than half of respondents assigned high levels of blame to rising interest rates (67%), construction costs (58%), developer or landlord greed (57%), or too many people moving to Utah (53%). But only 35% did the same for what's seen as a root cause for Utah's housing crisis, simply not having enough housing available. The survey found only a slight majority agree that Utah needs 'to build more homes and increase the overall number and availability of homes and apartments in the state,' while 21% disagreed and 26% had no opinion either way. Yet Utah's housing shortfall is expected to reach 153,000 homes and apartments by 2030. Gov. Spencer Cox, in his recent State of the State address, once again called for building 35,000 single-family starter homes priced under $400,000 over the next few years. And a statewide initiative urging Utahns to 'Demand more supply,' that includes TV commercials featuring children was recently launched by another nonprofit, Utah Workforce Housing Advocacy. 'To ensure that the American Dream stays alive and well in Utah, we must add housing supply to the market,' said Steve Waldrip, the governor's senior advisor for housing strategy and a member of the advocacy's executive committee. 'That's why our campaign is focused on raising awareness of the core problem of high home prices — not enough supply,' Waldrip said. For Bruening, it's pretty simple. The housing shortage means builders can choose 'to build whatever they want, so they're going to build something that has the greatest return,' he said. 'If the market were functioning better, they'd have to build something more in line with what people can afford.' 'I would love to see more people just understand that basic lack of supply issue,' Bruening said. 'If we can get our supply to match our demand better, prices should come down across the board.' The survey showed 34% of Utahns living in non-rural areas believe the state is 'in a major housing crisis,' while 35% say Utah is 'facing serious housing challenges, but it's not a crisis." Another third are less concerned, with 15% acknowledging there are housing challenges in Utah but with limited impacts, and 11% saying the state's housing situation is fine and 4%, great. However, the need to address supply and demand became more obvious to the 36 Utahns who participated in a week-long online focus group held in October by Envision Utah to better understand how Utahns perceive housing. Among the focus group participants, the number who said they were 'extremely concerned' about housing doubled, as did the number who saw it as 'extremely important' to address housing challenges. Bruening said the extra attention helped clarify the problem. 'The more they thought about it, the kind of simple supply and demand dynamics became clearer to them. We just need more homes,' he said. 'I think it just took the time of thinking about it.' The biggest surprise in the survey for Bruening was the ranking ensuring low-income Utahns can afford to live in neighborhoods with good schools and economic opportunity as the most important housing goal for Utah. That was chosen as one of the top three housing goals by 49% of survey respondents, followed by providing affordable homes to the very poor and homeless, then to seniors, those with disabilities and veterans. Having affordable starter homes for young families was a top three pick by just 32%, and having enough to ensure that future generation of Utahns don't move out of state was ranked that high by 27%. 'I thought that people would say starter options for young people. Instead, they said low income families,' Bruening said, calling that encouraging. 'I think here's a little narrative out there that people want to keep low income people out of their neighborhoods.' While public officials often emphasize the need for young people starting out to have the opportunity to buy a home, he said the survey results suggests the public is more behind affordable housing, including rental units, for low income Utahns. 'I don't know that people are saying, 'I don't care about young families.' But it does suggest that they care even more about low income people,' Bruening said. 'Maybe that's a messaging piece policymakers and others ought to pick up on.'
