Laura Vernon
Laura Vernon is the Great Salt Lake Basin Planner for the Utah Department of Natural Resources Division of Water Resources. She has been working on land use and planning issues in the Great Salt Lake watershed for nearly two decades. With a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Master’s in public administration, her work has emphasized the incorporation of stakeholder engagement and collaboration into regional land and water planning. With an interest in community involvement and urban planning, she recently served on the South Salt Lake Planning Commission. Currently, her work is shaping the management of critical water resources in the Great Salt Lake Basin, demonstrating her dedication to sustainable planning and community-focused solutions.
Session(s):
Great Salt Lake Basin Water Planning »
2025 APA UT Fall Conference, October 9, 2025 3:00 pmSimilar to patterns observed in other major waterbodies worldwide, declining water levels in the Great Salt Lake (GSL) Basin emphasize the challenges posed by a limited water supply in the face of ongoing population growth and climate change. To better understand how much water is necessary to ensure a resilient supply for GSL and all water uses in the basin, the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Resources, is developing the Great Salt Lake Basin Integrated Plan (GSLBIP). Together with the US Bureau of Reclamation via a WaterSMART Basin Study award, the Division is undertaking an unprecedented collaborative effort that will provide water managers with tools to understand how changes in climate, water supply, and demand, and policy will impact the GSL basin. The development and implementation of the GSLBIP is a significant challenge, as a basin-wide project at this scale has never been undertaken in Utah. Water supply challenges throughout the watershed —especially GSL — are urgent. Durable outcomes and long-term success will hinge on the watershed uniting under a new perspective on water and community. The GSLBIP will foster a “one water, one community” approach, essential for ensuring the health and sustainability of GSL and its surrounding communities.
= Keynote
