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Read. Follow. Verify.Utah creates Great Salt Lake Preservation Program and appropriates $2,750,000 for agricultural water leasing
Last action · March 23, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Jill Koford and 11 others
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What This Bill Does
Governor Spencer Cox signed HB 410, establishing the Great Salt Lake Preservation Program to lease agricultural water for the benefit of the lake and appropriating $2,750,000 from the General Fund for 2027. The measure creates the Great Salt Lake Preservation Board, sets annual leasing rates based on alfalfa hay prices, and authorizes the state engineer to prioritize lease applications and protect leased water from intervening diversions.
Agricultural water right holders can lease their water to the state for up to two out of every five years on the same field while facing potential state repayments and enforcement actions if they violate lease terms.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
agricultural water users
Agricultural water users are eligible to apply for water leasing programs, subject to annual rate determinations, acreage lease frequency limits, and compliance enforcement actions.
owners or operators of impoundments or barriers
Owners and operators of water barriers or impoundments cannot refuse to release leased preservation water and must pass it through at their sole expense upon the state engineer's direction.
Great Salt Lake Preservation Board
The newly created board is responsible for establishing the preservation program, setting leasing rates, enacting administrative rules, and overseeing lease compliance.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are lease rates determined under the Great Salt Lake Preservation Program?
Can agricultural water be leased continuously on the same field under this program?
Who is allowed to lease water through the program?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
64 actions- Mar 23, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolledGovernor Signed
- Mar 12, 2026HouseHouse/ to Governor
- Mar 12, 2026HouseHouse/ received enrolled bill from Printing
- Mar 11, 2026HouseHouse/ enrolled bill to Printing
- Mar 11, 2026Clerk of the HouseEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
- Mar 6, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingDraft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
Show 58 earlier actions
- Mar 6, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingBill Received from House for Enrolling
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ signed by President/ returned to House
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Mar 5, 2026Senate PresidentHouse Conference Committee - Final Passage
- Mar 5, 2026Conference CommitteeHouse Motion to Adopt Joint Conference Comm Rpt
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Mar 5, 2026Conference CommitteeSenate Conference Committee - Final Passage
- Mar 5, 2026Conference CommitteeSenate Motion to Adopt Joint Conference Comm Rpt
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Mar 5, 2026Conference CommitteeConference Committee Report
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Mar 5, 2026Conference CommitteeHouse Conference Committee Appointed
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Mar 5, 2026Conference CommitteeSenate Conference Committee Appointed
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ refused to recede from Senate amendments
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ refuse to concur with Senate amendment
- Mar 4, 2026HouseHouse/ placed on Concurrence Calendar
- Mar 4, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ to House with amendments
- Mar 4, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ floor amendment
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
- Mar 3, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0410S01
- Mar 3, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0410S01
- Feb 25, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Feb 25, 2026SenateSenate/ committee report favorable
- Feb 24, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 19, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate/ to standing committee
- Feb 18, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Feb 17, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Feb 17, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Feb 17, 2026HouseFloorHouse/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 17, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
- Feb 6, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0410S01
- Feb 6, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0410S01
- Feb 6, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Feb 6, 2026HouseHouse/ comm rpt/ substituted
- Feb 5, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 5, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Substitute Recommendation
- Feb 5, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0410S01
- Feb 5, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0410S01
- Feb 4, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse/ to standing committee
- Jan 30, 2026HouseHouse/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Jan 29, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0410
- Jan 29, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0410
- Jan 28, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Jan 28, 2026HouseHouse/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Jan 28, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0410
- Jan 28, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0410
- Jan 28, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Jan 28, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselBill Numbered but not Distributed
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 7 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Establishment of Dedicated Great Salt Lake Agricultural Leasing Framework
The enactment of Title 73, Chapter 34 formalizes a dedicated institutional mechanism for leasing agricultural water rights specifically for environmental delivery to the Great Salt Lake.
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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