This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
This summer Gov. Gary Herbert has invited the public to let him know how we see Utah's water future. I commend the governor for this offer, but I am uncertain what he will actually do.
I hold out hope that he will actually take concrete actions to move the state toward a future where we are required to use water efficiently. I hold out hope that he will listen to the citizens who support water conservation.
Unfortunately, the pessimist in me is winning out. I fear that this exercise Herbert is undertaking will be nothing more than another feel-good campaign to make citizens feel the state really cares about water conservation, while providing cover to further his actual goals of building more costly reservoirs and doing nothing to ensure that we use our current water efficiently.
Governor, please move us to a future where water conservation is a way of life.
You can let the governor know how you feel at utahswater.org
Mark Danenhauer
Salt Lake City