Environment
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Melons and the Green River: Giving life to a rural Utah town
Amy Joi O'Donoghue, Deseret News | Posted Oct. 8 - 8:05 a.m. | Save Story
The town of Green River, Emery County, — population of about 800 people — is more than just a place along the I-70 corridor that boasts famous watermelons and some of the most scenic nearby landscapes in Utah.
Beware of harmful algal blooms while hunting in Utah, agencies say
Emma Benson, KSL-TV | Posted Oct. 7 - 1:15 p.m. | Save Story
With the start of waterfowl hunting season, experts are reminding hunters and recreationists to watch out for harmful algal blooms.
Back-to-back good water years have helped the Great Salt Lake
Amy Joi O'Donoghue, Deseret News | Posted Oct. 6 - 5:27 p.m. | Save Story
The health of the Great Salt Lake depends on what happens this fall and, of course, this water year, which began Monday.
Black bear encounters up this year; high temps the likely cause
Mike Anderson, KSL-TV | Posted Oct. 6 - 9:12 a.m. | Save Story
Black bear encounters are way up along the Wasatch Front, and Division of Wildlife Resources biologists say our hot weather is partly to blame.
Utah, 7 other states take next step to build Intermountain West electric vehicle grid
Carter Williams, KSL.com | Posted Oct. 5 - 9:00 p.m. | Save Story
Utah transportation officials say they are ready to take the next step to expand charging stations across rural routes in coordination with seven other Intermountain West states.
Helicopter and welders: The story of how Kanarra Falls gained its beautiful new stairs
Alysha Lundgren, St. George News | Posted Oct. 5 - 8:21 p.m. | Save Story
Replacing the stairs for Kanarra Falls, one of southern Utah's most iconic hikes, required more than just funding. It required overcoming some unusual engineering challenges.
White Mesa Ute community members press for closure of uranium mill near Blanding
Tim Vandenack, KSL.com | Posted Oct. 4 - 10:02 p.m. | Save Story
White Mesa Ute community members demonstrated at the Utah Capitol on Friday, pressing for closure of the Energy Fuels uranium mill near Blanding.
Utah's delegation wants to change assumptions about Republicans and conservation
Bridger Beal-Cvetko, KSL.com | Posted Oct. 4 - 3:05 p.m. | Save Story
Utah Reps. John Curtis and Celeste Maloy spoke Friday about bringing conservatives to the table when it comes to issues of climate change and natural resources.
Feds release final plan for Bears Ears National Monument
Logan Stefanich, KSL.com | Posted Oct. 3 - 9:01 p.m. | Save Story
Federal agencies on Thursday released a final environmental impact statement and proposed plan outlining the management and protection of the 1.36-million-acre Bears Ears National Monument.
Tribes celebrate the end of the largest dam removal project in US history
Hallie Golden, Associated Press | Posted Oct. 3 - 11:01 a.m. | Save Story
The largest dam removal project in U.S. history has been completed near the California-Oregon border.
$81M aqueduct resilience project aims to protect Utahns' water supply in event of earthquake
Logan Stefanich, KSL.com | Posted Oct. 2 - 4:59 p.m. | Save Story
The Utah Division of Water Resources and the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District announced an $81 million seismic resilience project for the Davis Aqueduct.
Colorado company ordered to pay over $16M in settlement, to upgrade facilities in Utah
Logan Stefanich, KSL.com | Posted Oct. 2 - 9:58 a.m. | Save Story
Colorado-based Ovintiv was ordered to pay $16 million in a settlement to resolve Clean Air Act violations on the Uintah and Ouray Reservation in Utah.
Where Utah's water situation stands at the end of a 'roller coaster' water year
Carter Williams, KSL.com | Posted Oct. 1 - 5:20 p.m. | Save Story
A state expert says Utah's water supply is in a good position after a topsy-turvy water year, which ended on Monday.
Questions bubble up as Lake Powell's 'volcanoes' erupt greenhouse gases
Alysha Lundgren, St. George News | Posted Oct. 1 - 9:38 a.m. | Save Story
At the confluence of White Canyon and the Colorado River, bubbling gas billows from a cone made of mud.
PARTNER
'It is our honor': Salt Lake City church donates $35K to Great Salt Lake efforts
Carter Williams, KSL.com | Posted Sept. 30 - 3:07 p.m. | Save Story
A local church is joining efforts to get water to the Great Salt Lake.
Why 4 California condors will be released in the wild near Utah — and how to watch
Carter Williams, KSL.com | Posted Sept. 26 - 6:23 a.m. | Save Story
The Arizona-Utah flock of California condors has suffered heartbreaking setbacks over the past few years, but it is about to receive a much-needed boost.
Saving the Great Salt Lake earns bipartisan support in House
Amy Joi O'Donoghue, Deseret News | Posted Sept. 25 - 9:02 p.m. | Save Story
A bill was endorsed in the House on Tuesday, expanding the geographical reach of the Central Utah Completion Act to encompass the Great Salt Lake drainage.
Utah Lake has struggled with its reputation, but maybe it deserves another look
Amy Joi O'Donoghue, Deseret News | Posted Sept. 25 - 12:31 p.m. | Save Story
This week is Climate Week, and for Utah Lake there is a lot to be celebrated.
Has conservation 'fatigue' arrived? Not for these Great Salt Lake basin water users
Carter Williams, KSL.com | Posted Sept. 25 - 8:02 a.m. | Save Story
Water consumption is up this year across multiple water districts within the Great Salt Lake basin, but some of the biggest users are still trying to find ways to cut back.
Helping to save the Colorado River with virtual fencing
Amy Joi O'Donoghue, Deseret News | Posted Sept. 23 - 3:07 p.m. | Save Story
There are unique ways to help save the ailing Colorado River, and a nonprofit foundation is awarding millions to boost drought resistance in two of the seven basin states.
California firefighter arrested for allegedly starting 5 wildfires
Rebekah Riess, CNN | Posted Sept. 21 - 9:47 p.m. | Save Story
A Cal Fire firefighter was arrested Friday morning on suspicion of starting five separate wildfires in the state within the last six weeks.
Researchers look to expand restoration efforts within Green River tributaries
Erin Lewis, Utah Public Radio | Posted Sept. 21 - 10:09 a.m. | Save Story
Utah researchers are working to restore Green River tributaries with a host of strategies including reintroducing beavers and removing invasive plants.
Why 43 million acres in US are owned by foreign nations
Amy Joi O'Donoghue, Deseret News | Posted Sept. 21 - 7:08 a.m. | Save Story
An Idaho congressman is asserting more than 43 million acres of agricultural land is owned by foreign nations — including adversaries like North Korea, Iran or China.
Huge Australian king penguin chick Pesto grows into social media star
Rod Mcguirk, Associated Press | Posted Sept. 20 - 5:32 p.m. | Save Story
A huge king penguin chick named Pesto, who weighs as much as both his parents combined, has become a social media celebrity and a star attraction at an Australian aquarium. Pesto weighs 49 pounds at 9 months old.
St. George officials asking for info on illegally felled tree at golf course
Mori Kessler, St. George News | Posted Sept. 18 - 9:27 p.m. | Save Story
A dead tree on city property that was originally set to be replaced this fall was removed ahead of schedule by an unknown party. And city officials are not pleased.
Utah Legislature votes to join lawsuit on federal lands
Amy Joi O'Donoghue, Deseret News | Posted Sept. 18 - 9:29 a.m. | Save Story
The state Legislature's Management Committee voted Tuesday to file a friend of the court brief before the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the Utah Attorney General's lawsuit filed in August over 18.5 million acres of "unappropriated" public lands under federal ownership.
Utah ranks No. 2 in country with solar jobs
Amy Joi O'Donoghue, Deseret News | Posted Sept. 18 - 8:01 a.m. | Save Story
U.S. solar jobs grew 6% overall for a total of nearly 280,000 solar workers as of 2023, as part of the accelerating transition to clean, renewable energy that is sparking job opportunities across all 50 states.
After losing over 2 feet, Great Salt Lake to get another boost from Utah Lake
Carter Williams, KSL.com | Posted Sept. 16 - 8:57 p.m. | Save Story
The Great Salt Lake has lost about 2 feet over the past few months, but it's about to get another boost from Utah Lake.
Utah's mountains likely to see first snow of the season with latest storm
Carter Williams, KSL.com | Posted Sept. 16 - 7:06 p.m. | Save Story
Snow is expected to return to Utah's highest elevations this week, while the state will also feel more like early to mid-October and less like the final week of summer.
3 years after pause, Salt Lake City closer to resuming foothills trail expansion plans
Carter Williams, KSL.com | Posted Sept. 16 - 8:05 a.m. | Save Story
A plan to build more trails across Salt Lake City's foothills hit a snag in 2021 after issues with the first 15 months, but it may resume as early as next year.
A group of women come together through rafting Western rivers
Erin Lewis and Sheri Quinn, Utah Public Radio | Posted Sept. 15 - 7:01 p.m. | Save Story
A group of women have come together each year for decades to raft western rivers.
Here's what U. researchers are learning about dangers associated with Great Salt Lake dust
Logan Stefanich, KSL.com | Posted Sept. 15 - 4:50 p.m. | Save Story
New University of Utah research has found that sediments in the Great Salt Lake's exposed playa are potentially more harmful than other major dust sources.
$250K project slated to protect south-central Utah's 'trembling giant'
Alysha Lundgren, St. George News | Posted Sept. 14 - 9:17 a.m. | Save Story
A new tree project is in the works, and advocates say it could allow the "trembling giant" to begin regenerating.
New leases for oil, gas plummet under Biden-Harris. Will the future hold more of the same?
Amy Joi O'Donoghue, Deseret News | Posted Sept. 13 - 9:33 p.m. | Save Story
In 2019, when Kamala Harris was campaigning to be the Democratic U.S. presidential nominee, she vowed she would stop fracking as a means to extract fossil fuel from the land.
Canyons School District phases out community recycling program after inappropriate use
Brianna Chavez, KSL-TV | Posted Sept. 13 - 10:58 a.m. | Save Story
The Canyons School District is reevaluating its community recycling program after people have been throwing in items that don't belong, like garbage, furniture and dead animals.
Francine weakens and moves inland after lashing Louisiana
Jack Brook and Sara Cline, Associated Press | Updated Sept. 12 - 5:58 p.m. | Save Story
Francine is weakening after striking Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane. The system knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses.
3 Utah school districts awarded $1.49M to purchase clean school buses
Logan Stefanich, KSL.com | Posted Sept. 10 - 5:03 p.m. | Save Story
Three Utah school districts have been awarded $1.49 million in rebates to purchase clean school buses as part of the Biden administration's Investing in America agenda.
Utah posts second-hottest summer on record, but August rains left positive impact
Carter Williams, KSL.com | Posted Sept. 10 - 3:02 p.m. | Save Story
Utah endured its second-hottest summer on record, but August storms may have helped reduce the impact of drought on the state, according to newly released climate data.
How are Utah's reservoirs doing as summer winds down?
Amy Joi O'Donoghue, Deseret News | Posted Sept. 10 - 10:09 a.m. | Save Story
Statewide reservoir storage across Utah remains at an average of 77% capacity, an overall 6% decline from last month.
National Park rangers call out 'world-changing' impact of dropped Cheetos bag
Marnie Hunter, CNN | Posted Sept. 9 - 10:06 p.m. | Save Story
Plain water is the only thing visitors are allowed to consume inside the huge cavern at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico. Cheetos are a no-go, and the recent park visitor who dropped a bag full of them created a "huge impact" on the cave's ecosystem, park rangers said Friday in a Facebook post.
Thousands evacuate as wildfires rage outside Los Angeles and Reno, Nevada
Eugene Garcia and Olga R. Rodriguez, Associated Press | Posted Sept. 9 - 6:02 p.m. | Save Story
Thousands of people have been evacuated from the path of a scorching wildfire in the foothills of a national forest east of Los Angeles as the blaze threatens some 36,000 structures.
Aquamation now an option offered to Utah pet owners
Brianna Chavez, KSL-TV | Posted Sept. 8 - 10:44 p.m. | Save Story
Aquamation is a water-based cremation, that some say makes the painful process of saying goodbye for pet owners just a little easier.
Wildfire east of LA threatens tens of thousands of homes and forces evacuations
Associated Press | Posted Sept. 8 - 8:24 p.m. | Save Story
Mandatory evacuations are expanding as a wildfire burns in the foothills of a national forest east of Los Angeles. Tens of thousands of homes and other buildings are being threatened by the so-called Line Fire.
New report outlines economic benefits from Utah's national parks, but are they too popular?
Carter Williams, KSL.com | Posted Sept. 8 - 7:50 p.m. | Save Story
Utah's outdoor wonders continue to boost the state's economy, but Gov. Spencer Cox and leaders of other Western states say more needs to be done to address overcrowding.
These 5 ski towns offer spectacular fall hiking
Dennis Romboy, Deseret News | Posted Sept. 7 - 10:39 a.m. | Save Story
If you're itching to get to a ski resort as you wait for the snow to fly, there's no better time than autumn before the trees have lost their leaves.
$500K price tag to replace the 200 trees accidentally poisoned on North Temple
Garna Mejia, KSL-TV | Posted Sept. 6 - 4:03 p.m. | Save Story
What Salt Lake City Parks officials describe as a simple mistake will cost taxpayers about half a million dollars.
Are you ready for solar panels on the southern shores of the Great Salt Lake?
Amy Joi O'Donoghue, Deseret News | Posted Sept. 6 - 12:04 p.m. | Save Story
The Biden-Harris administration wants to open up an additional 31 million acres in the West for development of utility scale solar development, but at least one group of clean energy advocates say some of those "available" areas are not appropriate.
Utah's beloved 'cele-birdy' immortalized with larger-than-life statue
Carter Williams, KSL.com | Posted Sept. 6 - 6:14 a.m. | Save Story
A new statue honoring Andy N. Condor, a fixture at Tracy Aviary for over 60 years until his death last year, is set to be unveiled this weekend.
Why there are legal 'friends' who want the Uinta railway
Amy Joi O'Donoghue, Deseret News | Posted Sept. 5 - 8:46 p.m. | Save Story
Two organizations in support of a controversial railway project that connects the remote Uinta Basin and its vast natural resources to the National Railway line lent their legal support to push toward a favorable U.S. Supreme Court decision.
How to treat fall allergies
Emma Benson, KSL-TV | Posted Sept. 5 - 2:09 p.m. | Save Story
An allergist with Intermountain Health said you can lessen your allergy symptoms by keeping your windows closed, using air purifiers and keeping pets out of your bedroom.
Herriman High School moves practices indoors because of poor air quality
Debbie Worthen, KSL-TV | Posted Sept. 5 - 11:02 a.m. | Save Story
The smoky air is causing trouble for high school sports teams trying to get daily practices completed.
Democrats, Republicans agree on several key Utah issues, Utah Foundation finds
Logan Stefanich, KSL.com | Posted Sept. 4 - 7:05 p.m. | Save Story
A new report from the Utah Foundation examined some of Utah's challenges and determined that there are in fact issues that Utahns generally agree upon across party lines.
Utah Supreme Court considering whether climate lawsuit filed by 7 children should be dismissed
Emily Ashcraft, KSL.com | Posted Sept. 4 - 5:32 p.m. | Save Story
The Utah Supreme Court listened to arguments Wednesday from seven children asking it to reverse the dismissal of their environmental lawsuit over fossil fuels and the environment.
Glen Canyon Dam receives $8.9M for relining bypass tubes
Mori Kessler, St. George News | Posted Sept. 4 - 4:16 p.m. | Save Story
Glen Canyon Dam is receiving $8.9 million from the federal government to fund the relining of its four bypass outlets, which have seen increasing use due to low water levels at Lake Powell.
Utah air quality plummets as wildfire smoke returns, but relief expected shortly
Carter Williams, KSL.com | Posted Sept. 4 - 3:10 p.m. | Save Story
Air quality has risen to unhealthy levels across parts of Utah on Wednesday, but relief could quickly be in sight.
Salt Lake City considers setting new standards for future gas stations
Carter Williams, KSL.com | Posted Sept. 4 - 6:21 a.m. | Save Story
The drama over a proposed gas station next to Sugar House Park has now spilled over into a proposed zoning change that could change where new gas stations are built.
Utah strikes deal with mineral company in 'major milestone' for Great Salt Lake
Carter Williams, KSL.com | Posted Sept. 3 - 12:01 p.m. | Save Story
The Great Salt Lake is slated to receive a major boost from one of the key industries that rely on it for business.
Over $7M raised for Jordan River restoration projects. Here's how it's being used
Carter Williams, KSL.com | Posted Sept. 3 - 8:10 a.m. | Save Story
Work is getting underway again to give the Jordan River ecosystem a boost.
