Utah's Water
You learned last week that Utahans get their water from both groundwater and surface water sources, including major rivers. However, the story is a little more complicated than that. To adequately meet the residential, irrigation, and industrial water needs for the state, a massive water resources development project (the largest in the nation's history) was undertaken in the 1950s. The Central Utah Project (CUP) is a federal water management project designed to provide water for the state of Utah. It is comprised of a series of aqueducts, dams, and reservoirs used to divert and store water from Utah's major rivers. Jodanelle, Steinaker, Strawberry, Upper Stillwater, Big Sand Wash, and Starvation Reservoirs were all constructed as part of the CUP. The CUP provides drinking, irrigation, industrial, and municipal water to rural and urban areas across the state. It also provides recreational opportunities, flood control capabilities, and water quality control measures.

Why is water conservation important?
Conserving water in Utah is important because it is a scare resource - we live in a desert! Utah's average annual precipitation is only 13 inches per year, making it one of the driest states in the nation. Water conservation efforts will also help preserve Utah's ecosystems. As Utah's population grows, the demand for water increases. If water resources are conserved now, it will help minimize the amount of future water diversions needed and decrease pollution.

Water conservation is not only important in arid environments. Ecosystems everywhere require water, and overusing water resources anywhere can be harmful to the environment. Overuse of water resources (surface and/or groundwater) can stress organisms, deplete wetlands, lead to land subsidence, and create economic hardships for communities.

The next few pages will show how communities in Israel deal with water supply and water shortages. The videos also discuss how these communities strive to balance water usage with environmental conservation.


Sources: http://www.conservewater.utah.gov/
http://historytogo.utah.gov/utah_chapters/utah_today/centralutahproject.html
http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Project.jsp?proj_Name=Central+Utah+Project