Utah Water Ways

Feeling the spring rush! ?? The first-ever?Yard School?will happen at the Salt Lake Spring Home & Garden Show. Yard School is presented by the “Slow the Flow” team represented by experts from Utah Water Ways, Utah Division of Water Resources, and Conservation Garden Park. Join us for 20-minute sessions! Pre-order plants using the new plant selector tool (pre-orders placed and fulfilled through High Country Gardens (American Meadows Inc). Experts from Utah Water Savers will also be available to help you sign up to be first in the queue for the 2025 landscape incentive programs. You could earn up to $3 per square foot to replace some portions of your lawn with waterwise alternatives. Great opportunity for a one-stop-shop! Use code “Conserve” for 50% off tickets. See you there! ?? https://lnkd.in/gQV3KACX

Utah Water Ways sustainable landscapes expert, Cynthia Bee, teamed up with Utah State University Extension's Center for Water-Efficient Landscaping to provide an hour-long webinar on waterwise planting design. The webinar follows the methodology used in our new Utah Plant Selector tool which will officially launch on March 7th, 2025. The webinar offers in-depth guidance, but the real magic lies in the Utah Plant Selector tool itself. Designed to simplify the decision-making process, it ensures high-quality landscape outcomes without requiring extensive knowledge or training. The tool is based on a principal we call "guided choice." While we’re addressing homeowner and landscaper challenges on the surface, the tool also plays a crucial role behind the scenes. It will boost demand for top-performing waterwise plants and provide valuable plant demand data. This generalized data will be shared with local growers and garden centers, enabling us to collaboratively transform and scale Utah’s plant supply chain to support the statewide shift to water-efficient landscaping. Stay tuned for the launch and join us in making Utah’s landscapes more sustainable! ?? #Sustainability #Waterwise #UtahWaterWays #LandscapeDesign #PlantSelector #Collaboration #Innovation https://lnkd.in/gHq5WTJM

???Promoting Water-Conserving Landscapes in Utah??? One of the best ways to encourage water-efficient landscapes is by showcasing real-life examples and sharing the experiences of Utahns who have embraced the challenge. The Selck's transformed their yard into a water-efficient landscape in 2017, and are eager to share their journey and results. Yesterday, we collaborated with Fox13 for a unique winter waterwise landscape tour. The video shots were frequently disrupted by overwintering birds snacking on the seeds and berries from the waterwise plants. Fortunately, we recorded drone footage of the same landscape last summer at peak bloom, allowing viewers to see it in different seasons. A heartfelt thank you to all the pioneering Utahns who have led the way in their neighborhoods, demonstrating that waterwise landscapes do more than conserve water—they create beautiful, sustainable environments. https://lnkd.in/gEbi-D-c

Yesterday, Utah Water Ways Policy Analyst, Bart Forsyth, collaborated with the Envision Utah team to present key findings of the recently completed Utah Water Values Survey to stakeholders at the Utah Division of Water Resources. Envision Utah and Heart+Mind Strategies, surveyed more than 800 residents across the state to understand how a broad cross-section of Utahns perceive, prioritize, and relate to water. Extensive qualitative and quantitative analysis was conducted over the past year, providing deep insights into participants water priorities, concerns, and expectations. The survey results establish a statewide public awareness baseline that can guide water-adjacent organizations, elected officials, and interested individuals in prioritizing future water management and conservation efforts. It’s been a decade since the last comprehensive survey, and we’re pleased to see increased interest and knowledge about water issues. We’ll share more detailed results in the coming weeks! We’re finalizing presentations for our funding partners and will soon make the survey results available to the media and interested parties. If you haven’t previously, sign up to receive the full survey results via email, expected to be sent out mid-February. Please reach out if you’re interested in a presentation of the findings for your Utah-based organization. The study has been funded by Utah Water Ways, the Utah Department of Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy in Utah, and the Great Salt Lake Commissioner's Office. https://lnkd.in/gJh8EFJE

???Exciting Collaboration for Utah’s Future!??? Over the past year,?Utah Water Ways?and the?Utah State Board of Education?have been working together to implement the provisions of HB-62, passed by the Utah State Legislature in 2024. Our shared mission is to develop a science-based curriculum that prepares Utah’s students to be responsible stewards of our precious water resources. Utah Water Ways will leverage our water expertise, along with that of other professionals and organizations, to review and vet potential content. Curriculum decisions will be made by the BoED and a dedicated team of teachers, who will use their expertise to craft a curriculum that meets the required standards. We are calling on qualified, professional Utah educators (K-12) to join us for the?June 2025 Curriculum Writing Workshop. Register at the link below. Your participation will be crucial in shaping the future of water education in Utah. Register Here: https://lnkd.in/gWthA_mp

???Exciting News from Utah Water Ways!??? At Utah Water Ways, we’re tackling water conservation challenges from multiple angles. One major hurdle we face is aligning our conservation efforts with the realities of the plant supply chain. Over the past year, we’ve collaborated with Utah-based growers, online retailers, local garden centers, and technologists to develop a digital tool that helps homeowners select plants that thrive in Utah. This tool features expert-recommended plant combinations and allows users to swap plants for similar alternatives, making the selection process easier. Our long-term vision is to use data from this tool to synchronize plant availability with our top-performing options. Given the industry’s complexity, long planning horizons, and limited data, we’re thrilled to partner with Utah agriculture to break down barriers and keep the economic benefits within our local economy. Get an exclusive preview of this innovative tool in the Winter edition of Bloom Gardens, a free, digital gardening magazine for Utah and the Intermountain West. Our article begins on page 20. #WaterConservation #UtahAgriculture #SustainableLandscaping #InnovationInGardening #LocalEconomy https://lnkd.in/g7srHX45

The Utah Water Values study is approaching completion, and we would like to express our gratitude to our partners for their exceptional contributions to this project. We also extend our thanks to the numerous Utah residents who participated and provided valuable insights throughout the process. To receive notifications regarding the publication of the study, please register using the link or scan the QR code. Thank you for your interest in this important initiative. https://lnkd.in/gJh8EFJE

One of the primary objectives of Utah Water Ways is to facilitate the adoption of water-conserving landscapes. Across the state, millions of square feet of non-functional turf need to be replaced with waterwise plants. Although our current plant supply chain is not yet equipped for this transition, we are actively working to address this challenge. We are pleased to announce that the highly anticipated “Utah Plant Selector” app will soon be available, free of charge, for residents of Utah. This project has been realized through the efforts of Utah Water Ways in collaboration with the Utah-based landscape technology company, Simplyscapes, participating local garden centers and online retailer, High Country Gardens. In partnership with the green industry in Utah, we have developed this tool to assist Utah homeowners in selecting a diverse range of high-performing plants, without requiring any prior expertise. This tool not only addresses the immediate needs of consumers but also supports the gradual transition of plant availability to meet future demand, minimizing risk for all stakeholders. Additionally, it provides direct benefits to our local growers and garden centers. If you're considering a landscape project, register for the beta version of the tool, which will be released in December. Your feedback will be invaluable to us. Join the waitlist here: ?https://lnkd.in/gihK8-8F More information about the tool here: https://lnkd.in/gPs6fTGy

Utah Water Ways is wrapping up our first year as an organization. Throughout the year, we’ve built a team of experts, collaborated with numerous public, private, and nonprofit organizations, held listening sessions, spoken at conferences, and built relationships with entities dedicated to water and related activities. Our mission is to amplify existing efforts while identifying gaps, barriers, and future opportunities for water conservation progress, statewide. With a highly experienced team, clear goals, and innovative ideas, we are now well-equipped with the resources, programs, and partners needed to make a significant impact. Stay tuned for more updates in the coming months! We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has shared their valuable insights and joined us in advancing water conservation efforts in Utah this past year. Your support is greatly appreciated!

We are honored to pair up with High Country Gardens and other waterwise landscape experts to break down myths and stereotypes about waterwise landscaping. The great majority of the plants sold through High Country Gardens are grown and shipped from Utah around the United States.