View in browser 

October 30, 2024

Deer Creek Trail | Midway, Utah
Photo by Stephanie Frohman

October 30, 2024

THIS WEEK IN UTAH'S LAND, WATER, AND AIR


We have some good news to share this week as an early Halloween treat. Governor Spencer Cox has appointed Emy Faulkner Lesofski as his energy advisor and director of the Office of Energy Development. A BYU graduate with deep experience at the federal level, Emy will be a terrific leader for Operation Gigawatt – the state’s plan to ensure that Utah’s energy is “reliable, affordable, secure and clean” for generations to come.

In another timely story before next week’s election, the State of the Rockies project at Colorado College released their annual Conservation in the West poll. Surveying voters in Arizona, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and Montana, they found that “85 percent of voters in the West – including 74 percent of Republicans, 87 percent of Independents, and 96 percent of Democrats – say issues involving clean water, clean air, wildlife and public lands are important in deciding whether to support an elected official.” While individual conservation priorities differ among voters, it’s encouraging to see that land, water and air may be an emerging area of unity in western politics.

Finally, in a throwback to 2023, we’re sharing City Cast Salt Lake’s list of Best Salt Lake Halloween Costumes. If you’re brave enough to dress up as a brine shrimp or perhaps a Wilson’s phalarope, please send us a photo.

And speaking of photos, did you know that we choose our weekly newsletter banner photos from submissions by our institute staff? The rules are that it must be a Utah landscape, with no faces, taken within the past seven days. We welcome guest photos from readers, too, so feel free us your best current Utah landscapes.

Wishing you a safe and happy Halloween!

Stephanie Frohman
Associate Director

Land, water, and air in the news

Agriculture

Navajo food traditions tap into the past and future of farming the arid Southwest. (KUER)

Air Quality

Rio Tinto Kennecott converts their fleet to 'renewable diesel' to help Utah's air quality. (Fox 13, Utah News Dispatch)

Climate

How Representative John Curtis has changed the climate conversation in Washington D.C. (KSL News)

OPINION: Utah’s unique tone for solving climate change. (Deseret News)

Colorado River

With water rights in hand, the Navajo still hope to restore farms on Utah’s San Juan River. (KUER)

A federal court ruling could have big implications for the Colorado River. (Arizona Daily Sun)

The loss of spring moisture is a culprit for missing water in the Colorado River. (Gunnison Country Times)

Colorado State University researchers are studying hay crops that save water within the Colorado River basin. (The Daily Sentinel)

Energy

As a closed Utah uranium mill seeks state approval to reopen, taxpayers are still paying to clean up others. (The Salt Lake Tribune)

Colorado pushes the Supreme Court to halt the Utah oil railway over environmental concerns. (Utah News Dispatch)

OPINION: Solar is a part of Utah’s all-of-the-above energy future. (Deseret News)

Environment

This Utah woman wants to use her last days to warn about radon danger. (Deseret News)

Great Salt Lake

Utah teens lead a 2034 Olympics-inspired protest supporting Great Salt Lake. (KSL News)

Lake Powell

Efforts to eliminate pin anchoring houseboats at Lake Powell produce positive results. (St. George News)

How Lake Powell's water levels are changing ahead of looming winter drought. (Newsweek)

Outdoor Recreation

From dump site to scenic path: LaVerkin Rim to River Trail opens. (St. George News)

The most affordable places to ski and snowboard in the West. (Deseret News)

Public Lands

12 states get behind Utah’s lawsuit over state control of millions of acres of federally-controlled land. (St. George News)

Greater access to trust lands means greater opportunity for Utah students. (The Salt Lake Tribune)

Utah Lake

Provo River Delta recreation area reopens after a 4-year restoration project. (The Salt Lake Tribune, KSL News)

Water

The city of Draper launches a new 'Adopt a Storm Drain' program to combat flooding. (Fox 13)

The public weighs in on project aimed at shaping future of Jordan River. (Fox 13)

Washington County's conservancy manager was recognized with the Utah Water Pioneer award. (St. George News)

In the next 35 years, Utah will need $60 billion for water infrastructure. (Utah News Dispatch, KSL News Radio)

Salt Lake City begins work to rehabilitate land impacted by 2023 runoff flooding. (KSL News)

Utah finishes the water year at 100% of normal. (Moab Times-Independent)

Wildlife

Mandatory surveillance of avian influenza was enacted in Cache County dairies. (UPR)

Staff and volunteers remember Zion's Condor 1K. (St. George News)

Photo gallery: the 36th annual Bison Roundup at Antelope Island State Park. (KSL News)

Conservationists reframe the 'big, bad wolf' narrative. (UPR)

Fall wildlife migrations are about to start, DWR warns drivers. (KSL News Radio, St. George News)

Grand Teton grizzly bear No. 399 that delighted visitors for decades is killed by a vehicle in Wyoming. (KSL News, KUER, Deseret News)

Support the Institute for Land, Water, and Air!

Get the weekly weather forecast from USU's
Utah Climate Center!

Land, water, and air in-focus

Invasive species like Eurasian watermilfoil sap resources for native plants and take over habitat in ways that are detrimental to wildlife or harm waterbodies.

Eurasian watermilfoil is an invasive species that is becoming a threat to Bear Lake. Recent research has shown that the plant prefers Bear Lake's unique water chemistry. Destroying this plant is tricky because herbicides in Bear Lake's waters are also less effective at controlling Eurasian watermilfoil. And tearing the plant while trying to grab it out of the water will actually cause it to spread.  

USU photography students and a faculty member will showcase how photos can impact Bear Lake.

The Bear Lake Needs Assessment project, funded by Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands, incorporates communication strategies for better management of Bear Lake. Photos taken by USU students and faculty member Jared Ragland for the project will be the focus of an upcoming art exhibit at the USU Logan campus. 

Western wildfires are increasing intensity but there is growing danger from fast fires that burn too fast for emergency responders. 

Fast fires are those with embers that move ahead of the flames and can ignite homes before emergency responders are able to help. While megafires receive the attention, fast fires have done increasing damage to communities over the past two decades. Learning how to manage the speed as well as intensity of a fire is something forest managers and community planners must grapple with. 

The Salton Sea in California is another saline lake in decline. Dust from the exposed lakebed has been found to significantly increase children's respiratory issues for those near the lake. 

A study of children's respiratory health for communities near the Salton Sea found that children experienced a significant rise in asthma rates when compared with the national average. Dust events correlated with increases in sleep problems and wheezing. The findings showed how dust from exposed saline lakebeds can impact the health of children in nearby communities. 

Calendar of events

Beauty and Beaks: A Photographic Love Letter
Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter
Through December 1
Come see the incredible photographs of the Swaner EcoCenter's sandhill cranes. An exhibit for all ages. Registration required. 
1258 Center Dr., Park City, UT

Wuda Ogwa Planting Days
Quinney College of Natural Resources
November 1 | 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
November 2 | 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Join the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation to plant willows, cottonwoods, dogwoods, currants, and other native plants at the Wuda Ogwa restoration site. Registration required. 
Bear River Massacre Site on HWY 91, just north of Preston, Idaho

Bear Lake Project Photography Exhibition
USU Art Department | JQL Institute for Land, Water, and Air
November 4 - 29
Opening Reception November 7 | 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Come view the work of Jared Ragland, USU Assistant Professor in the Art Department. As part of the Bear Lake Grant projects, Jared documented the researchers, lake, and surrounding communities through black and white photographs. 
Tippitts Art Gallery, USU Logan Campus

USU Eastern Speaker Series: From Book Cliffs to Blanding
USU Eastern Campus
November 12, February 12, March 18, April 7
All events at 6:00 p.m.
Come listen to speakers that highlight the important faculty and contributions of Price and USU Eastern. Free and open to the public.
Price Campus, Central Instruction Building, Room 101; Price, UT

Emotions and Nature Series
Stokes Nature Center, Logan Libraries, and Utah Humanities
November 21, December 12
A series made for finding community in how our emotions connect us to nature. Each date is a different emotion. Registration for each event is required.
Locations vary; see website for details

Joining Forces STEM series
USU College of Science
November 15 | 7:00 p.m.
Come learn from a variety of scientists who explore creative, scientific, sustainable solutions.
Logan Campus, ESLC 130

Have an event that should be added to the newsletter? Send your event information to ilwa@usu.edu. 

Know a friend or colleague who would like to receive weekly updates from around the state? Feel free to share this email with them.

Follow the Institute for Land, Water, and Air online!

The Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air is an interdisciplinary initiative established to bring together USU’s research programs and federal, state, county, and city policy makers to create a positive impact on the policies governing Utah’s shared resources.

We welcome your feedback! Please contact us at ilwa@usu.edu.

4999 Old Main Hill, Logan
United States of America

Unsubscribe