Water That Works
for Local Communities.
Water security is structural — not political. Complete the projects. Align housing with real modeling. Protect senior ag rights. Plan before the system breaks.
Water Planning Is Falling Behind Growth.
District 20 sits on some of Utah’s most critical water infrastructure — Strawberry Reservoir, Starvation Reservoir, the Green River corridor, and the watersheds that feed both the Wasatch Back and the Uintah Basin. These systems support agriculture, municipalities, energy operations, and recreation.
But housing is being approved against projected water capacity instead of real modeling. Agricultural water rights are being squeezed by development that wasn’t planned alongside them. And Basin water projects that have been in the pipeline for years remain unfinished while growth keeps moving forward.
Water doesn’t wait for politics. The planning has to happen before the system is stressed — not after.
Heber Valley development is outpacing the water infrastructure that supports it. Agricultural land with senior water rights is being converted without accounting for long-term recharge and supply.
Basin water projects critical to long-term supply remain incomplete. Energy sector water use, municipal growth, and agricultural demand are all competing for a system that wasn’t designed for today’s load.
What We’re Working With.
District 20 contains some of Utah’s most important water infrastructure. Understanding what exists — and what it supports — is the starting point for responsible planning.
Bureau of Reclamation. Critical to Wasatch Front municipal supply and Central Utah Project.
Utah State Park. Serves Duchesne County agriculture and municipal water needs.
BLM-managed corridor. Downstream water rights, energy sector use, tribal water claims.
Ouray National Wildlife Refuge. Critical habitat at the intersection of ag, energy, and water systems.
Ute Tribe. Tribal water rights and sovereignty are part of any Basin water conversation.
Feeds Strawberry Reservoir. Agricultural irrigation and watershed recharge.
Water First. Not Water Last.
Water decisions can’t be made after housing is approved, after the energy project is sited, or after the development is built. The sequence has to change.
- Complete Basin water projects — finish what’s been started before approving new demand
- Real water modeling — housing approvals tied to actual capacity, not projected availability
- Protect senior ag rights — agricultural water rights are the backbone of rural communities and food security
- Tribal water sovereignty — Ute Tribe water rights are not an afterthought, they’re a legal and moral obligation
- Watershed protection — drinking water sources treated as safety-critical infrastructure, not development opportunity
- Produced water reuse — energy sector water treated as infrastructure asset, not waste
When Water Is Planned First,
Everything Else Works.
Farms stay viable. Communities have reliable supply. Housing grows at a rate the system can actually support. Energy operations have a clear framework for water use and reuse.
Water connects every other system in District 20. Get it wrong and everything else — housing, agriculture, energy, emergency response — pays the price.
Water Should Be Planned First.
Not Fixed After It Breaks.
Join the campaign. Show up to a listening tour stop. Tell your neighbors.