A bill sent to the House Committee on Natural Resources as well as the Agricultural and Environment Committee proposes that Cedar City and other Utah communities can be rewarded for the improvement of both rivers and streams.
House Rep. Gay Bennion included items in the bill that cities and counties can address. These include:
— Reducing water pollution
— Preserving both aesthetic and recreational values
— Protecting fish and wildlife habitat
— Erosion, sedimentation management and flood control
If passed, the program will be administered by the Utah Department of Natural Resources. The department will fund an additional full-time employee to aid in helping cities and counties improve riparian areas.
These zones, located between the land and the river or stream, make up just 1% of Utah’s land. However, 82% of all bird species in the Intermountain West are dependent on river bank habitat, according to Salt Lake County’s website on streams.
Cedar City Engineer Jonathin Stathis discussed the importance of riverside areas. “[It’s] always been a high priority to preserve the waterways and the riparian areas.”
According to the 2022 Integrated Report on Water Equality provided by the Utah Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Quality, 40% of assessed units and 52% of perennial stream miles weren’t supporting their beneficial uses.
Story: Brig Pyfer
Photographer: Anna Mower
Editor: Anna Mower
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