Follow the Flow Series

 

Explore Utah Science, one of iUTAH’s nonprofit education organization partners, produced this series of stories about Utah water issues that aired on public radio. With support from iUTAH, the 6-part series highlighted research efforts dedicated to maintaining and improving water sustainability in Utah.

 

 

Follow the Flow Series:

 

Part 1: Desert Dust Events Could Trigger Early Wasatch Snowmelt
Dust events occur regularly each spring along the Wasatch Front, and they could be impacting how much water is ultimately available for Utah residents. This is the first story by Explore Utah Science in a series called "Follow the Flow", that examines ongoing research to maintain the sustainability of Utah's precious watersheds.

 

Part 2: Pristine to Polluted: The Journey of an Urban Stream
Salt Lake City’s Red Butte Creek offers a unique opportunity for scientists to study how a mountain stream changes when it enters an urban environment. As part of an ongoing series called “Follow the Flow”, that examines our relationship to our watersheds in Utah, this is the story of the journey of an urban stream.

 

Part 3: Beaver Dam Mapping App Now Available for Citizen Scientists
Although western farmers and irrigators have long deemed beavers to be pests, scientists are studying how these dam building rodents could be used as a tool for stream restoration and mitigating impacts of climate change on Utah's water supply. Watershed scientist at Utah State University have created a smart phone app and are asking people out hiking in the wilderness to track these furry builders so they can better model which water ways would benefit the most from their help.

 

Part 4: From Nuisance to Resource: Reconsidering Stormwater
Water managers in Utah are shifting their point of view when it comes to stormwater. New practices promise to reduce the pollution that stormwater brings, and turn stormwater into a resource that can help replenish parched lands.

 

Part 5: Can Farmers and Cities Share Utah’s Water?

As Utah's water needs grow with a rising population, the temptation is to siphon water from the state's largest water user, agriculture. Can farmlands survive a growing urban thirst?

 

Part 6: How Do You Find Water in the Desert? Southern Utah Faces Tough Choices

How will Utah deal with increased demand for water in the future? Build more infrastructure, conserve, or both? That debate is now taking place in southern Utah. Ross Chambless has the latest story in our "Follow the Flow" series.

 

Other Related Stories:

Our Water, Our Future
Utah is the second driest state in the country and we use about 40% more water per person than neighboring states such as Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. With the climate changing and the population growing, water will not stretch as far in the future as it has in the past. To tackle this issue, Governor Herbert has asked a team of advisors to come up with a 50-year water strategy for the state that will include reducing consumption by 25% by 2025.