Ben Winslow
Fox 13 Reporter
Ben Winslow is FOX 13's reporter on Capitol Hill covering a wide variety of topics including politics, polygamy, vice and courts. He has been in the news business in Utah for more than 20 years now, working in radio, newspaper, television and digital news. Winslow has received numerous honors for his reporting, including a national Edward R. Murrow award; the Religion Newswriters Association Local TV News Report of the Year; the Utah Broadcaster's Association and the Society of Professional Journalists. Readers of Salt Lake City Weekly and Q Salt Lake have named him their "Best TV news reporter" for many years now. He co-hosts "Utah Booze News: An Alcohol Policy Podcast," covering the state's often confusing and quirky liquor laws. Winslow is also known for his very active Twitter account keeping Utahns up-to-date on important news.
PROMONTORY POINT, Utah — It's a sight that has railroad workers and state water officials smiling. Water is spilling over an emergency berm in Union Pacific Railroad's causeway across the Great Salt L...
SALT LAKE CITY — Governor Spencer Cox's office on Wednesday released an action plan for how the state handles agriculture's water use. Agriculture is the single largest user of water in Utah. "We reco...
Supporters of a petition to declare the Wilson's phalarope an endangered species celebrate at the Utah State Capitol on Thursday, March 28, 2024. Photo by: Sterling Andrews, FOX 13 News.
Supporters of a petition to declare the Wilson's phalarope an endangered species celebrate at the Utah State Capitol on Thursday, March 28, 2024. Photo by: Sterling Andrews, FOX 13 News.
SALT LAKE CITY — An endangered species listing for the Wilson's phalarope may be just the beginning in an effort by environmental groups to get federal intervention to reverse the Great Salt Lake's de...
SALT LAKE CITY — A little bird could create a big problem for Utah's political leaders when it comes to the Great Salt Lake. A coalition of environmental groups including the Center for Biological Div...
LOGAN, Utah — Governor Spencer Cox is calling attention to important pieces of legislation that he believes will benefit the Great Salt Lake and Utah's water situation overall. At the Northern Utah Wa...
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's Division of Water Resources is in the midst of a study exploring how water is paid for in the state and whether that ought to change. Right now, people get a monthly water bill...
ST. GEORGE, Utah — At a meeting of the Utah Water Users Association here in sunny southern Utah, one of the biggest topics being discussed is, ironically enough, saving the Great Salt Lake. The massiv...
SALT LAKE CITY — A major bill designed to help the Great Salt Lake has passed the legislature and is headed to Governor Spencer Cox's desk. The bill now appears to have even won over opponents of the...
SALT LAKE CITY — Bills dealing with turf, landscaping and water conservation are moving through the Utah State Legislature. On Wednesday, lawmakers gave final passage to House Bill 11 , a water conser...
SALT LAKE CITY — House Speaker Mike Schultz left his position on the dais to join his colleagues on the floor of the House chamber and implore them to save the Great Salt Lake. "If we get this wrong,...
SALT LAKE CITY — A water bill that its sponsor says is "generational" is beginning to advance on Utah's Capitol Hill. Senate Bill 211 , being run by Senate President J. Stuart Adams, R-Layton, had its...
SALT LAKE CITY — A significant piece of legislation on the Great Salt Lake is advancing on Utah's Capitol Hill after a tense hearing. House Bill 453 , sponsored by Rep. Casey Snider, R-Paradise, is ai...
OGDEN, Utah — Compass Minerals, a major mineral extraction company operating on the Great Salt Lake, has announced it will abandon a lucrative lithium brine project. In a report to shareholders on Thu...
SALT LAKE CITY — A program offering money to get farmers to switch to new water-saving technologies is seeing a surge in applications. "There’s more agricultural producers that are wanting to put more...
SALT LAKE CITY — A significant bill has been introduced in the Utah State Legislature aimed at helping reverse the Great Salt Lake's declines. House Bill 453 , sponsored by Rep. Casey Snider, R-Paradi...
The Utah State Legislature is being asked to spend millions on water conservation efforts and try a new way to get water into the Great Salt Lake. SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Legislature is being...
SALT LAKE CITY — A series of bills focused on water conservation are advancing in the Utah State Legislature. On Tuesday, the Senate Natural Resources Committee advanced a bill that attempts to tackle...
SALT LAKE CITY — The state's Great Salt Lake Commissioner plans to ask local water districts to release some water stored up in reservoirs to send downstream into the lake. Dr. Brian Steed said the re...
SALT LAKE CITY — People in brine shrimp costumes danced as the crowd chanted and sang on the steps of the Utah State Capitol. They waved signs that read "Just Add Water" and "Feeling Salty About Inact...
SALT LAKE CITY — A major new report prepared for Utah political leaders by state agencies and research universities concludes that "no single solution" will cure the Great Salt Lake's woes, but recomm...
SALT LAKE CITY — A new proposal on Utah's Capitol Hill would pay farmers to send some of their water to the Great Salt Lake instead of trying to eke out another harvest. It seeks to balance competing...
SALT LAKE CITY — A recent study by Brigham Young University appears to make the notion of a pipeline from the Pacific Ocean to the Great Salt Lake more of a "pipe dream." "This pipeline and similar ex...
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's Department of Natural Resources, the Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands and the state engineer have asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a coalition of environment...
A pair of rules governing how lithium is extracted from the Great Salt Lake had its first public hearing on Monday. SALT LAKE CITY — A pair of rules governing how lithium is extracted from the Great S...
SALT LAKE CITY — A critical report on the future of the Great Salt Lake has been delivered to Governor Spencer Cox and legislative leadership. Now, the governor will have to decide on a course of acti...
SALT LAKE CITY — A highly-anticipated report recommending ways to save the Great Salt Lake has been delivered to Utah's governor and legislative leaders. The report itself will not be made public unti...
SALT LAKE CITY — An environmental group claims some Utah lawmakers may be planning to restart the controversial Bear River pipeline project, which could significantly harm the Great Salt Lake. "Grow t...
SALT LAKE CITY — A series of bills have been unveiled on Utah's Capitol Hill addressing some issues with water conservation, including ensuring that saved water actually gets downstream to places like...
SALT LAKE CITY — House Speaker Brad Wilson left office, praising the part-time Utah State Legislature for their work to advance important policy issues for the people of the state. "I've had the chanc...
SALT LAKE CITY — A new audit calls on the state to get a handle on how much water it actually has and come up with better plans to address critical needs. "Water has been a priority in the Legislature...
While Utah’s Agricultural Water Optimization Program has the potential to save tens of thousands of acre-feet of water annually, Hannah Freeze says it may take years to know the true impact of the pro...
Jaemye and Bryan Brandon are getting ready for the holidays. String lights are transforming their picturesque farm into something straight out of a Hallmark holiday movie.
SALT LAKE CITY — A proposed "buffer zone" between the Great Salt Lake and encroaching development has gotten a major financial donation. The Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust, created by the...
SALT LAKE CITY — A major new report details some big progress but also significant challenges Utah faces with its environment. The report was prepared for Governor Spencer Cox and members of the Utah...
SALT LAKE CITY — State regulators have proposed new rules on lithium extraction with an eye toward protecting the shrinking Great Salt Lake. The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands has propo...
SALT LAKE CITY — More legislation is coming to help save the Great Salt Lake before it triggers a significant ecological crisis for Utah. The co-chairs of the bipartisan Great Salt Lake Caucus told FO...
SALT LAKE CITY — Lawmakers are scrutinizing a multi-million dollar trust created with the goal of getting water into the Great Salt Lake. In sometimes tense questioning on Utah's Capitol Hill on Tuesd...
CEDAR CITY, Utah — The Utah Inland Port Authority is proposing dedicating some of its funding and land mass in Salt Lake City to wetland preservation along the Great Salt Lake. The port authority's ex...
SALT LAKE CITY — Happy New Water Year, Utah! The state ended its water year with signs of improvement. Most of the state is no longer in drought, and overall, things are looking better. "We are at abo...
SNOWBIRD, Utah — The burner pumped sodium iodide into the air while tubes led back into a trailer. People would stick their head in the trailer to look at the setup. It was a demonstration of new remo...
ST. GEORGE, Utah — Members of the Utah State Legislature took a field trip to see how one of America's fastest growing cities is dealing with demands for water and grappling with growth. Lawmakers vis...
Mitigating dust from a shrinking Great Salt Lake could cost more than a billion dollars to fix, a new report from the Utah State Legislature's Auditor General found.
Mitigating dust from a shrinking Great Salt Lake could cost more than a billion dollars to fix, a new report from the Utah State Legislature's Auditor General found.
ST. GEORGE, Utah — Mitigating dust from a shrinking Great Salt Lake could cost more than a billion dollars to fix, a new report from the Utah State Legislature's Auditor General found. Tucked in an au...
Photo by: Russ Slade, FOX 13 News
Photo by: Russ Slade, FOX 13 News
SALT LAKE CITY — A specialty license plate raising awareness about the plight of the Great Salt Lake is almost halfway to becoming a reality. Sen. Jennifer Plumb, D-Salt Lake City, said the Great Salt...
SALT LAKE CITY — A company branded by environmental groups as a major Utah polluter has settled eight years worth of violations and lawsuits with the state of Utah. U.S. Magnesium agreed to a $430,900...
SALT LAKE CITY — A coalition of environmental groups has filed a lawsuit against the state of Utah, accusing political leaders and agencies of not doing enough to save the Great Salt Lake. The lawsuit...
SALT LAKE CITY — The city council is considering a new plan for an area under development near the Great Salt Lake. Northpoint — located on the northernmost point of the city between Salt Lake City In...
SALT LAKE CITY — Some good news economically — and ecologically — for the Great Salt Lake. A forecast by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is giving "good" chances for the annual brine shrimp ha...
AMERICAN FORK, Utah — Outside the Timpanogos Special Service District's wastewater treatment plant, a series of experiments are being conducted near the shoreline. One looks at invasive carp and their...
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Legislature is planning to re-examine mineral extraction on the Great Salt Lake as the state races to reverse water level declines. "We need to look at how much water i...
Photo by: Mike Rank, FOX 13 News
Photo by: Mike Rank, FOX 13 News
SALT LAKE CITY — Dozens of people protested at the Utah State Capitol on Thursday, calling on state leaders to abandon plans for an inland port project near a sensitive part of the Great Salt Lake. Th...
SALT LAKE CITY — As he crafts a plan to help save it, newly-appointed Great Salt Lake Commissioner Brian Steed warned lawmakers of some "tough choices" ahead. "We're going to have to consider the poss...
SALT LAKE CITY — The state of Utah is scrutinizing a mineral company, accusing it of unauthorized extractions of lithium from the Great Salt Lake. Utah's Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands confi...
SANDY, Utah — A new app is helping Sandy residents conserve by not only telling them how much water they're using, but detecting leaks that could prevent an expensive bill. Sandy City recently started...
SALT LAKE CITY — There is a new push to protect the Great Salt Lake by elevating the lake itself in local policy decisions. The environmental group Save Our Great Salt Lake is planning to ask city cou...
SALT LAKE CITY — A new license plate raising money to help the Great Salt Lake will soon be available — but only if at least 500 people sign up to buy one. The license plate is designed to bring aware...
FARMINGTON, Utah — A trust created by the Utah State Legislature to help save the Great Salt Lake is now funding efforts to protect critical wetland habitats. The Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement...
SALT LAKE CITY — Two of Utah's biggest water districts are proposing small property tax increases as they deal with growth and ensuring a safe, clean water supply. On Tuesday, the Jordan Valley Water...
SALT LAKE CITY — The tour boats are back on the Great Salt Lake, a welcome sign of increased water levels thanks to a record-breaking snowfall. But environmentalists warn it is too early to declare vi...
Brian Steed, right, speaks with FOX 13 News reporter Ben Winslow in June 2023. Steed is the Great Salt Lake Commissioner, a powerful new position in Utah government. He will come up with plans to reverse the lake's historic declines and make it thrive. The position even gives him the ability to override other state agencies' decisions if it means protecting the lake.
Brian Steed, right, speaks with FOX 13 News reporter Ben Winslow in June 2023. Steed is the Great Salt Lake Commissioner, a powerful new position in Utah government. He will come up with plans to reverse the lake's historic declines and make it thrive. The position even gives him the ability to override other state agencies' decisions if it means protecting the lake.
WILLARD BAY, Utah — Brian Steed knows the stakes are high. "It’s exciting and a little scary," he said in an interview Friday with FOX 13 News. "I think there’s a lot on the line in getting the Great...
Salt Lake City Public Utilities partnered with Utah State University's Center for Water-Efficient Landscaping and the Turfgrass Water Conservation Alliance to come up with the special blend that uses...
A giant crane lifted larger boats back into their slips at the Great Salt Lake marina Tuesday, a fantastic sign that water levels continue to look promising. (Photo courtesy FOX 13 News).
A giant crane lifted larger boats back into their slips at the Great Salt Lake marina Tuesday, a fantastic sign that water levels continue to look promising. (Photo courtesy FOX 13 News).
SALT LAKE CITY — A crane lifted boats into their slips at the Great Salt Lake Marina on Tuesday, a sign of the lake's rebounding thanks to an amazing winter with record-breaking snowpack. The boats we...
SALT LAKE CITY — Brian Steed may have one of the toughest jobs in Utah government: he is tasked with saving the Great Salt Lake. "The challenges facing the Great Salt Lake are real," Steed said at the...
SALT LAKE CITY — A series of bills on water conservation and the Great Salt Lake may be resurrected, including one that would ban outdoor watering during certain times of the year. Rep. Doug Owens, D-...
SALT LAKE CITY — As construction crews worked to erect another massive warehouse, a small herd of antelope grazed nearby. A coalition of environmental groups are pushing Salt Lake City to move quickly...
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Legislature is considering importing some Israeli water practices as part of ongoing efforts to save the Great Salt Lake and ensure a continual supply of water across t...
SALT LAKE CITY — Brian Steed, the head of an environmental policy institute at Utah State University, has been tapped to oversee state efforts to help the Great Salt Lake recover. Governor Spencer Cox...
The Washington County Water Conservancy District has made a big hire that could lead to some significant conservation changes for southwestern Utah. (Courtesy FOX 13 News)
The Washington County Water Conservancy District has made a big hire that could lead to some significant conservation changes for southwestern Utah.
The Washington County Water Conservancy District has made a big hire that could lead to some significant conservation changes for southwestern Utah. Doug Bennett, who previously oversaw conservation m...
SALT LAKE CITY — State leaders interviewed job candidates on Tuesday for a point-person to oversee efforts to save the Great Salt Lake. Governor Spencer Cox, House Speaker Brad Wilson and Senate Presi...
WEST JORDAN, Utah — The state of Utah is increasing the amount of incentives being offered to convince you to get rid of lawn you don't use. On Monday, the latest round of turf buyback incentives were...
Crops grown outside Kinneret, Israel, on March 30, 2023. (Ben Winslow / FOX 13 News)
Crops grown outside Kinneret, Israel, on March 30, 2023. (Ben Winslow / FOX 13 News)
LAKE KINNERET, Israel — The delegation of Utah officials, lawmakers and researchers have been impressed with what Israel has accomplished when it comes to water. “They really went from a water-hungry...
Joel Ferry, Executive Director of the Utah Dept. of Natural Resources, tastes a strawberry grown as an experiment in the Negev Desert on March 28, 2023. (Ben Winslow / FOX 13 News)
Joel Ferry, Executive Director of the Utah Dept. of Natural Resources, tastes a strawberry grown as an experiment in the Negev Desert on March 28, 2023. (Ben Winslow / FOX 13 News)
NEGEV DESERT, Israel — A group of Utah Mormon Republican lawmakers walk into a Jewish socialist kibbutz in the middle of the desert. It’s not a joke. A delegation of Utah water officials, state lawmak...
Dawn in Tel Aviv, Israel, on March 30, 2023. (Ben Winslow / FOX 13 News)
Dawn in Tel Aviv, Israel, on March 30, 2023. (Ben Winslow / FOX 13 News)
TEL AVIV, Israel — Utah Department of Natural Resources Executive Director Joel Ferry reads an Israeli nursery rhyme to the men and women who oversee Utah’s water systems as they ride in a van headed...
A major piece of legislation dealing with water use and conservation is set to return for a battle on Utah's Capitol Hill. HERRIMAN, Utah — A major piece of legislation dealing with water use and cons...
ST. GEORGE, Utah — As snowstorms continue to hit Utah, Governor Spencer Cox warned counties to prepare for the potential for flooding. "I'm grateful for the water, even though my prayers have changed...
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's statewide average for snowpack is now 201% of normal, according to the Department of Natural Resources. The latest round of storms pushed the statewide average over the 200% th...
West-facing rendering of the new Church Office Building plaza. The new grounds will feature more perennials, less grass and 30% more trees. Turfgrass is being reduced by 35% and annuals by 50%. All turfgrass will receive 35-40% less water from June to September. Photo courtesy Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
West-facing rendering of the new Church Office Building plaza. The new grounds will feature more perennials, less grass and 30% more trees. Turfgrass is being reduced by 35% and annuals by 50%. All turfgrass will receive 35-40% less water from June to September. Photo courtesy Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Following a massive donation of water shares to help save the Great Salt Lake, a high-ranking official with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said they were exploring ways to do more. SA...
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signs Great Salt Lake bills into law. Courtesy FOX 13 News
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signs Great Salt Lake bills into law. Courtesy FOX 13 News
SALT LAKE CITY — Governor Spencer Cox and Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson signed a series of bills into law aimed at water conservation and saving the Great Salt Lake. On Tuesday night, the governor sig...
A canal that ferries water from the LDS Church to the Great Salt Lake. Photo: Ben Winslow, FOX 13 News
A canal that ferries water from the LDS Church to the Great Salt Lake. Photo: Ben Winslow, FOX 13 News
This story has been updated: SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a major property owner in the state of Utah, has donated a massive amount of water shares to the Great Sa...
LOGAN, Utah — With significant snowpack in the mountains all over the state, some communities are being told to prepare for potential flooding if temperatures warm up too quickly. "The weather is goin...
SALT LAKE CITY — In the final hours of the Utah State Legislature, a major air quality bill was resurrected and is likely to pass. House Bill 220 , sponsored by Rep. Andrew Stoddard, D-Sandy, started...
By the time the 2023 Utah State Legislature ends next week, lawmakers will have adopted a roughly $28 billion budget. "It'll reflect what the people of Utah are looking for out of their state budget,"...
SALT LAKE CITY — A series of bills aimed at protecting the Great Salt Lake are advancing in the Utah State Legislature. The House Natural Resources Committee voted unanimously to support House Bill 49...
Photo by: Ben Winslow, FOX 13 News  Members of Save Our Great Salt Lake talk to lawmakers outside the House chamber.
Photo by: Ben Winslow, FOX 13 News Members of Save Our Great Salt Lake talk to lawmakers outside the House chamber.
SALT LAKE CITY — Suzanne Liese wanted to talk to her lawmakers. "I'm here to talk to my representatives about my concerns for the Great Salt Lake," she said as she waited patiently outside the House c...
SALT LAKE CITY — A bill that will be introduced in the Utah State Legislature will task one person with overseeing efforts to save the Great Salt Lake. The position, currently titled the "Great Salt L...
SALT LAKE CITY — An ambitious bill on air quality will be changed to target a company that environmental groups say is one of Utah's top polluters. Rep. Andrew Stoddard, D-Sandy, confirmed to FOX 13 N...
SALT LAKE CITY — Tucked into a bill on condominiums and homeowners associations is a provision cracking down on lush, green lawns. Senate Bill 191 , sponsored by Sen. Wayne Harper, R-Taylorsville, blo...
The shrinking water level shown along the Great Salt Lake near Antelope Island, Utah. (Photo by: Rick Bowmer/AP)
SALT LAKE CITY — A "strike team" convened to help give Utah's political leaders advice on how best to help the Great Salt Lake is urging increased conservation and dedicated water to the lake. "Declin...
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Senate voted unanimously on Monday to support a bill that increases the amount of money to get you to ditch your lawn. Senate Bill 118 , sponsored by Sen. Scott Sandall...
(FRANCISCO KJOLSETH, THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE)
SALT LAKE CITY — Governor Spencer Cox issued an executive order on Friday raising the Great Salt Lake causeway berm to keep snowpack in the south arm of the lake, propping it up. "The Great Salt Lake...
SALT LAKE CITY — Legislative leaders have been talking about water conservation and saving the Great Salt Lake, going so far as to declare it "Water Week" on Utah's Capitol Hill. But after a pair of b...
(Screenshot courtesy FOX 13)
SALT LAKE CITY — With dozens of bills coming in the Utah State Legislature dealing with water, a small group of lawmakers have formed a special caucus focused on helping the Great Salt Lake. "We're no...
(Screenshot Courtesy of FOX-13)
SALT LAKE CITY — It's "Water Week" in the Utah State Legislature. House and Senate leaders unveiled a series of bills and funding initiatives centered around water conservation and saving the Great Sa...
(Screenshot courtesy FOX 13)
SALT LAKE CITY — House and Senate leaders will unveil a series of bills next week aimed at water conservation and the Great Salt Lake. "That will be a big policy and a big funding priority for us," Ho...
Satellite images show dramatic effects drought is having on the Great Salt Lake. (Photo by: FOX 13)
SALT LAKE CITY — A series of bills are being introduced designed to save the Great Salt Lake. At a news conference, the environmental group Utah Rivers Council announced its support for a pending reso...
SALT LAKE CITY — A state lawmaker is proposing to increase the amount of money to get people to tear out turf they don't really use. Rep. Doug Owens, D-Millcreek, told FOX 13 News he will file a bill...
FRANCISCO KJOLSETH | THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE) UTAH GOV. SPENCER COX SITS DOWN FOR AN INTERVIEW AT THE GOVERNOR’S MANSION TO TALK ABOUT THE ONGOING DROUGHT AND THE GREAT SALT LAKE ON TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2022.
SALT LAKE CITY — Governor Spencer Cox said he will not let the Great Salt Lake go dry, pledging new measures to prop it up. "I'm telling people: On my watch we are not allowing the lake to go dry. We...
(Screenshot courtesy FOX 13)
SALT LAKE CITY — A group of researchers and environmentalists are calling for an "emergency rescue" by policymakers to save the Great Salt Lake. In a new report issued Thursday, 31 different conservat...
(Screenshot courtesy FOX 13)
SALT LAKE CITY — A pair of reports prepared for Governor Spencer Cox's administration and the Utah State Legislature call for increased efforts to save water and protect the Great Salt Lake. On Thursd...
LAYTON, Utah — The Weber Basin Water Conservancy District has begun sending emergency releases of water into the Great Salt Lake. It's a move designed to help prop up the levels of the rapidly declini...
TREMONTON, Utah — Charles Holmgren turns on a propane tank and turns on the flame on a nearby burner. He'll leave it going, while he does other things on his Tremonton farm. "Typically, it will run fr...
SALT LAKE CITY — A bill that would have dramatically changed how Utahns pay for water will not be advancing in the state legislature this year. On Wednesday, Senate Revenue & Taxation Committee Chair...
(Screenshot courtesy FOX 13)
SALT LAKE CITY — As the Great Salt Lake moves closer to ecosystem collapse, the state of Utah is taking steps to try to quickly get more water into it, including paying farmers to stop growing certain...
SALT LAKE CITY — The levels of the Great Salt Lake have started to stabilize for now, according to a new drought report released by Utah's Department of Natural Resources. "Great Salt Lake levels have...
(Screenshot courtesy FOX 13)
SALT LAKE CITY — Governor Spencer Cox has issued a proclamation suspending any new water appropriations in the Bear, Jordan and Weber river basins in an effort to help get more water into the Great Sa...
(Screenshot courtesy FOX 13)
LOGAN, Utah — New research and environmental initiatives are under way to offer potential solutions to saving the Great Salt Lake. Dr. Joanna Endter-Wada, a social scientist in Utah State University's...
SALT LAKE CITY — A new study released by an environmental group claims that 20% more water could be put into the Great Salt Lake if property tax laws were changed to force conservation. The proposed b...
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Workers with Foxtail Turf remove the grass from Patricia Council's North Las Vegas yard, replacing it with artificial turf on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Workers with Foxtail Turf remove the grass from Patricia Council's North Las Vegas yard, replacing it with artificial turf on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022.
Sin City's strict water conservation measures might be a good example for Utah to follow in the drought. As part of the Great Salt Lake Collaborative, Fox 13 News traveled to Las Vegas to examine how...
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Salvador Polanco-Gamez, a conservation aide with the Las Vegas Valley Water District, patrols in Summerlin, a community in the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. When runoff water from a home's sprinklers reaches the street, Polanco-Gamez stops to document the situation and notify the homeowner.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Salvador Polanco-Gamez, a conservation aide with the Las Vegas Valley Water District, patrols in Summerlin, a community in the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. When runoff water from a home's sprinklers reaches the street, Polanco-Gamez stops to document the situation and notify the homeowner.
As the Great Salt Lake continues to decline, water conservation is more urgently needed. But is Utah doing enough? As part of the Great Salt Lake Collaborative, Fox 13 News recently traveled outside t...
OGDEN, Utah — The idea of a pipeline from the Pacific Ocean to the Great Salt Lake has raised eyebrows and made some snicker. FOX 13 News first reported on the idea in May when the Utah State Legislat...
The shore of the Great Salt Lake on Stansbury Island on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Trent Nelson, The Salt Lake Tribune)
OGDEN, Utah — As the Great Salt Lake continues to decline rapidly, state officials warned that Utahns will have to significantly increase water conservation. "We simply need to use less water, but we...
SALT LAKE CITY — The Great Salt Lake has dropped to such a low level, the U.S. Geological Survey's measuring system at the marina no longer works. "Levels are too low for the Saltair Lake Elevation Ga...
SALT LAKE CITY — A major bill unveiled on Utah's Capitol Hill could dramatically change how water is paid for in the state. The bill was formally presented on Wednesday by Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton,...
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, greets Rich Hansen, manager of the Ogden Bay Waterfowl Management Area for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, before taking a fan boat tour of the Great Salt Lake in Farmington Bay on Friday, Aug. 19, 2022. (Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)
SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah — Sen. Mitt Romney warned that Utah will likely have to pursue more aggressive water conservation measures in the face of the drought and a shrinking Great Salt Lake. Utah's juni...
THE WEST DESERT, Utah — It looks a bit like a mirage in the desert expanse. A pump house, built in the 1980s at a time when the Great Salt Lake was at a record high, is still maintained and ready to r...
Crews have completed efforts to raise a berm by four feet in an "emergency surgery" effort to balance the salinity of the shrinking Great Salt Lake.(FOX 13)
LAKESIDE, Utah — Crews have completed efforts to raise a berm by four feet in an "emergency surgery" effort to balance the salinity of the shrinking Great Salt Lake. "It was critical," Eric Dixon, the...
SALT LAKE CITY — Water conservation measures have helped keep Utah's drought situation from getting worse, state officials told a legislative panel on Wednesday. At a briefing before the Utah State Le...
Dust blows off the dry lakebed of the Great Salt Lake as seen from Farmington Bay on Aug.22 2022. (Photo: Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — All of northern Utah faces risk from dust storms laced with arsenic and other chemicals from a shrinking Great Salt Lake, a scientist warned a panel of lawmakers on Tuesday night. "Th...
The state of Utah will implement the "turf buyback" program this spring. (Screenshot FOX 13)
ST. GEORGE, Utah — Wilson and Kari Jimenez are thrilled with how their yard looks. "We still have a little bit of grass here, but we plan to eliminate the rest of that and continue with the desert lan...
SALT LAKE CITY — A special blend of grasses that uses less water and still looks good has proven to be such a hit, other communities want it. "It’s been an incredible hit," said Dr. Kelly Kopp, a prof...
Birds flock over the Great Salt Lake on Friday, Aug 19, 2022.(Photo credit: Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — An environmental group is pushing for the Great Salt Lake to be treated like a sovereign entity worthy of its own legal rights. "We believe Great Salt Lake should have a right to flou...
Governor Spencer Cox speaks at Utah State University's Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water & Air on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022.(Photo by: John Eulberg, FOX 13 News)
LOGAN, Utah — Governor Spencer Cox said more money will be needed to expand water conservation measures and save the Great Salt Lake. At a forum on Thursday hosted at Utah State University's Janet Qui...
A group met with some Utah lawmakers and representatives of the governor's office to pitch an idea of a pipeline from the Pacific Ocean to the Great Salt Lake. (FOX 13)
SALT LAKE CITY — A group met with some Utah lawmakers and representatives of the governor's office to pitch an idea of a pipeline from the Pacific Ocean to the Great Salt Lake. International Water Hol...
Photo by: John Eulberg, FOX 13 News  Rep. Joel Ferry, R-Brigham City, appears at his Senate confirmation hearing to lead Utah's Department of Natural Resources.
Photo by: John Eulberg, FOX 13 News Rep. Joel Ferry, R-Brigham City, appears at his Senate confirmation hearing to lead Utah's Department of Natural Resources.
SALT LAKE CITY — Saving the Great Salt Lake will be his "top priority" in office, the new head of Utah's Department of Natural Resources said at his Senate confirmation hearing on Friday. "Right now,...
A specially-created blend of grass called "SLC Turf Trade" uses at least 30% less water than others, while still looking green.
A specially-created blend of grass called "SLC Turf Trade" uses at least 30% less water than others, while still looking green.
SALT LAKE CITY — The grass in the small park on the corner of Concord Street and California Avenue looks and feels just like any other lawn. But the specially-created blend of grass called " SLC Turf...
Utah State Rep. Joel Ferry, Sen. Mitt Romney and Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson tour the Great Salt Lake by fan boat, Friday, Aug 19, 2022. (Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)
FARMINGTON BAY, Utah — As the airboats moved through the marshes, hundreds of birds took flight. Senator Mitt Romney marveled at them. "You fly by this area on commercial aircraft and you look down, y...
SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake County Council on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution calling for action to save the Great Salt Lake. The resolution, sponsored by Council member Richard Snelgrove,...
SALT LAKE CITY — The last boats have been pulled from the Great Salt Lake Marina. FOX 13 News documented cranes lifting the remaining boats out on Wednesday. It is a result of the Great Salt Lake cont...
FARMINGTON BAY, Utah — The powerful Speaker of Utah's House of Representatives is planning more legislation to help save the rapidly shrinking Great Salt Lake. "The lake? The lake’s struggling right n...
SALT LAKE CITY — Governor Spencer Cox said more action will be taken to help save the Great Salt Lake, which continues to drop to new lows. "Should we have started earlier? Probably. But we are where...
SALT LAKE CITY — The Great Salt Lake has dropped to a new historic low, FOX 13 News has confirmed. The imperiled lake has dropped to 4,190.1, below last year's record low of 4,190.2 feet. "It’s come a...
RIVERTON, Utah — A bill designed to change how Utahns pay for water in their property tax bills is advancing on Utah's Capitol Hill. Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, is proposing a major change in how prop...
Tech conserves water, but also costs a lot of money TREMONTON, Utah — Colton Russon can control the irrigation system with his phone. The Tremonton farmer has installed a series of automated irrigatio...
Photo by: FOX 13  Satellite images show dramatic effects drought is having on the Great Salt Lake
Photo by: FOX 13 Satellite images show dramatic effects drought is having on the Great Salt Lake
SALT LAKE CITY — Members of Utah's congressional delegation have introduced a bill that seeks to get more water into the Great Salt Lake. The bill could include a pipeline to get more water into the s...
WEST JORDAN, Utah — The Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District is asking all of its customers to cut their water use by at least 10%. That's both indoor and outdoor use. "We’re not seeing the snowpa...
SALT LAKE CITY — Recent wind storms that hit the Wasatch Front brought dust from the West Desert and Great Salt Lake into communities, state officials said. Time-lapse videos (below) from FOX 13 News...
Environmental groups get $40m to secure water SALT LAKE CITY — The Great Salt Lake may be weeks away from hitting its new historic low. The lake could to drop over the next three to four weeks, Laura...
More dust storms could blow into the Wasatch Front as a result of increasingly exposed lake bed, state leaders are warning. FARMINGTON BAY, Utah — More dust storms could blow into the Wasatch Front as...
A legislative commission is floating the idea of a pipeline to bring water from the Pacific Ocean into the Great Salt Lake. SALT LAKE CITY — A legislative commission is floating the idea of a pipeline...
Outside the Washington City Cemetery and a nearby athletic field, city crews are removing turf.
Outside the Washington City Cemetery and a nearby athletic field, city crews are removing turf.
WASHINGTON CITY, Utah — Outside the Washington City Cemetery and a nearby athletic field, city crews are removing turf. "We've identified areas throughout the city that we have deemed as non-functiona...
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — Outside City Hall, some patches of grass look a little different than others. Look closely, and you'll see it's not real grass. West Valley City replaced some lawn around City...
{youtube}2W_S-pYqK7M{/youtube} SALT LAKE CITY — The Great Salt Lake is projected to drop another two feet to hit a new historic low this year, state officials warned on Tuesday. During a briefing to t...
{youtube}hJ8b3n4TUHI{/youtube} SALT LAKE CITY — The projection that the Great Salt Lake may hit a new record low this year is pressuring Utah political leaders to do more to protect the massive water...
Bison on Antelope Island
The shrinking Great Salt Lake could create more problems, with animals migrating in search of new food sources. ANTELOPE ISLAND, Utah — The shrinking Great Salt Lake could create more problems, with a...
Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights, and Rep. Jeffrey Stenquist, R-Draper, look out the windows as they and other Utah lawmakers take an aerial tour of the Great Salt Lake by Blackhawk helicopters from the Air National Guard. The group left from the Capitol in Salt Lake City Utah on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah National Guard dropped three Blackhawk helicopters on Capitol Hill to pick up lawmakers, taking them on an aerial tour of the shrinking Great Salt Lake. FOX 13 News accompani...
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah National Guard will fly dozens of lawmakers over the Great Salt Lake so they can see first-hand how far it has shrunk, FOX 13 News has learned. Rep. Doug Owens, D-Millcreek,...
FOX 13 News reporter Ben Winslow films experimental wheat crops at the Volcani Institute in Israel on March 29, 2023. (Limor Ashkenazi / Israel Connect)
FOX 13 News reporter Ben Winslow films experimental wheat crops at the Volcani Institute in Israel on March 29, 2023. (Limor Ashkenazi / Israel Connect)
I had two days to prepare for a 7,000-mile trip to Israel with a delegation from Utah. When Heather May, director of the Great Salt Lake Collaborative, asked if I wanted to join a Utah delegation head...