Lawmakers consider whether to tweak property taxes that cover water use
SALT LAKE CITY — The Great Salt Lake has dropped to 2021 levels, triggering some concern among policymakers tasked with reversing its declines.
"We bought ourselves a little time, but not as much as we had hoped," Deputy Great Salt Lake Commissioner Tim Davis told FOX 13 News, referencing record-breaking winters over the past two years.
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The lake is now around 4,192 feet, according to measurements on Wednesday. This is about the level it was at the start of the 2021 water year. In 2022, the Great Salt Lake dropped to its lowest level in recorded history at 4,188.5 feet. The reasons for the lake's declines have been attributed to water diversion upstream, drought and impacts from climate change. Last week, FOX 13 News reported that more of the state had begun to slip into drought.
The impacts of a drying Great Salt Lake are severe. Toxic dust storms (arsenic is among the chemicals in the dust bed), reduced snowpack in the mountains that provides northern Utah's water supply and feeds the state's lucrative ski industry, as well as overall harms to public health and wildlife.
But unlike 2022, Utah political leaders have advanced dozens of bills and spent more than $1 billion on water conservation measures. Many of those are being enacted now (the House Speaker recently said he would like a "pause" on major water legislation to determine which policies work best). There has been significant public pressure put on lawmakers to take action and more people are conscious of the water they use. The Great Salt Lake Commissioner's Office was specifically created by Utah's governor and legislative leaders to save the lake and has pushed policies to protect it. The office recently announced a series of water donations to help the lake in the long-term.
But moving forward, Davis said, water conservation will need to be a top priority for Utahns.
"We’ve always needed to conserve and dedicate and deliver water to the lake. I think some people felt we got out of the woods the last two water years," he said. "The message is we’re not and we need everyone to conserve, dedicate and deliver water to the lake. We have tools, especially if we fall past 2022 and we can respond in an emergency."
On Wednesday, the Utah State Legislature's Revenue & Taxation Interim Committee heard a major study about water and property taxes. While people pay a monthly water bill, property taxes actually cover a large part of water use and Utah enjoys some of the lowest water rates around.
Lawmakers are considering whether all that needs to change. The study, which FOX 13 News first reported on in October, suggests that Utah not abandon property taxes covering water, but beefing up a tiered rate structure based on use. It also suggests lawmakers can start charging entities like schools, cities and churches for the water they use (currently they pay no property taxes).
Property taxes do cover a lot of critical infrastructure needs that keep pipes up-to-date and systems operating at their best.
"Sixty billion dollars over the next 30 years that we need to recognize is before us," Rep. Keven Stratton, R-Orem, said of infrastructure needs statewide.
But to save water and help places like the Great Salt Lake, lawmakers are considering whether people need to pay a "true cost of water."
"There is a direct tie between pricing and conservation," said Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, the committee's chairman.
