(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Gov. Spencer Cox, right, joins state, local and regional water leaders to provide an update on Utah’s drought conditions and water supply outlook heading into the summer months during a news event at Little Dell Reservoir on Thursday, May 21, 2026.
In May of this year, Gov. Spencer Cox issued an executive order (before summer even started) declaring a state of emergency due to Utah’s severe drought conditions, yet every day on my way to work I see huge decorative lawns being watered excessively after the sun is already high in the sky. It’s frustrating to have our water rates raised and water conservation endlessly encouraged, yet businesses, schools, and the state continue to water nonfunctional turf.
I can do my part as a concerned resident to take short showers and only run full loads of laundry, but as long as these major consumers of water continue as if nothing has changed in the past thirty years, the problem will only get worse. According to Grow the Flow (Oct. 3, 2025), cities and industry account for around 16% of water diverted from the Great Salt Lake. That water then evaporates and isn’t recycled like indoor water use. They go on to say, “Cutting outdoor depletion is the fastest, most reliable way for cities to help restore Great Salt Lake.” We have a real opportunity here to make a difference, but it does require facing the facts and acting accordingly.
To our elected officials in Utah, please listen to experts from Grow the Flow and other organizations who are working to save our Great Salt Lake. You can order businesses, schools and the state to stop watering nonfunctional turf to reduce needless water waste. The best time to act was a long time ago, but the next best time is today.
Rodrigo Calderon, Murray