The highly controversial Lake Powell Pipeline has been years on the table and would siphon water from Lake Powell, part of the Colorado River Basin system and the second-largest reservoir in the country. It would tap an unused allocation of Utah Colorado River rights from the Green River that feeds into the Colorado River for placement in a 140-mile pipeline to serve the rapidly growing Washington County.
But consider this: From 1970 to 2020, Washington County experienced a population surge of 1,210%. By 2060, it is projected to grow as much as 200%.
Zach Renstrom, general manager of the Washington County Water Conservancy District, said he could see a grim new reality and that if the area didn’t learn to conserve water, and didn’t pursue other water resources such as storage and reuse, an entire way of life was at stake. A transplant to the area like so many others, he knew the wave was coming.
Renstrom, who spoke to reporters at an introductory brainstorming session for the Colorado River Collaborative in Moab, addressed the challenges of invoking change on how water is used, how much is used and where it is used in Washington County.
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