Latest news with #UtahDepartmentofAgriculture
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Forsyth Fire impacting lives of ranchers in southern Utah
PINE VALLEY, Utah () — The Forsyth Fire hasn't just threatened homes, it's also disrupted a way of life that families have known for decades. Pine Valley is a tight-knit ranch town where generations of families have made a living off of the land. But as the Forsyth Fire burns through the area, many ranchers are facing both a difficult and emotional challenge. Larry Gardiner, who lives in Pine Valley, says this isn't just where they work. It's where they live, where they raise their cattle and where they've built their entire lives, spending all 76 of their years there. Forsyth Fire burning over 7,000 acres, still at 0% containment He and his neighbors have been working nonstop either protecting cattle where they are or moving them from Pine Valley to Grass Valley, only to have the fire force them to move again. 'It's a hardship,' Gardiner said. 'People were coming in yesterday, day before yesterday, getting their cattle here and moving them to Grass Valley. Then the fire went to Grass Valley, so they'll move them and keep them out of harm's way.' The Utah Department of Agriculture said in a statement to ABC4 that there is an Emergency Disaster Relief Loan Program available for those who have been impacted. They are also coordinating with the Division of Wildlife Resources to help producers find grazing land. They say there isn't much land available in southern Utah but are reaching out to affected ranchers in the area with updates. Diego Luna named to MLS All-Star team again Republicans report progress, but no deal on critical SALT issue Fireworks Safety: Celebrate the holidays safely Navajo Nation man charged for shooting death of man in Southern Utah John Collins exercises $26.5 option with Jazz Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How much water are Utah's agriculture optimization projects saving?
SALT LAKE CITY — Nearly 700 projects have been selected to receive funds through a Utah program that seeks to improve the efficiency of agricultural water consumption across the state. And the projects that are complete and functioning are producing encouraging results, the program's director says. Close to 250 of the approved projects within the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food's Agricultural Water Optimization Program are now complete and, combined, they've saved 40,891 acre-feet of water annually, according to numbers reported to the state last week. That's enough water to fill up a reservoir the size of Quail Creek Reservoir in Washington County every year. The number is based on one full year of irrigation following a project's completion, Tony Richards, the program's manager, told members of the Utah Legislature's Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environmental Quality Appropriations Subcommittee last week. It will rise as more projects go online in the coming years. On-farm enhancements account for nearly 80% of the approved projects, while the rest involve improvements to canal systems, according to department data presented to the subcommittee. About $56.7 million has been distributed to farmers and ranchers since 2019 through the $150.6 million obligated to the program so far, Richards added. The department selected projects based on different criteria, such as project type, projected water saved and cost per acre. The state also selects 'priority water' areas on a changing basis, depending on Utah's needs, he explained. He said the program has also evolved to handle other water solutions, such as exploring alternative crops that may not need as much water. 'We do understand there's an efficiency improvement (need) in the infrastructure side of it, but there's also efficiency that we could gain in looking at management,' he told the committee. 'That even includes no-till (and) cover crops — all those kinds of things we can do to try and squeeze every drop out that we can.' The program has been in high demand since it began in 2019, drawing in 1,577 applications to date. Agricultural water has historically been the top water consumer in the state, accounting for 75% to 85% of Utah's water use. The program was created as the state experienced more frequent droughts, causing water uncertainty within the industry. However, the state wasn't always so certain about the success of the program. The program has required water meters since 2019, but lawmakers said they wanted more proof of water savings being allocating more funds, as the data wasn't always clear. The state approved a measure that allows farmers and ranchers to sell their reduced water for conservation purposes without losing their water rights, helping out struggling bodies of water like the Great Salt Lake. The department is close to launching a new online dashboard that will provide updated information as more projects are completed and provide at least a year's worth of data, as well, Richards said. Utah's Agricultural Water Optimization Committee recommended that the program dedicate at least $1 million in future spending toward research. That research will include ways to figure out the best irrigation techniques that help farmers and ranchers remain productive without consuming as much water as they previously did, he added. 'We want to be able to flex where we can and make the choices and best improvements that don't have the negative impacts,' he said.
