SALT LAKE CITY — Meeting in a special session, the Utah State Legislature extended Governor Spencer Cox's state of emergency for flooding until mid-August.
As FOX 13 News first reported on Tuesday, lawmakers will also dip into funds to allocate $40 million toward flood mitigation efforts statewide. Earlier this year, the legislature funded $5 million for flood mitigation at the governor's request "just in case." The state has already blown through that with flooding in the Salt Lake City, Ogden and Spanish Fork areas.
"It will be enough. We’re looking at what’s left to come down, we’re looking at the weather and what we’ve already spent and we have a pretty good feel for where we’re going to end up," Gov. Cox told FOX 13 News on Wednesday morning. "We feel really great about it. We’re working closely with the legislature and we feel like we have the right number."
After years of drought, the state experienced record snow this past winter. About half of the snow still remains in northern Utah's mountains and with above-average temperatures predicted, state emergency planners predict flooding could increase in the next few weeks.
"The next week to two weeks is going to be extremely interesting. If you look at how fast these reservoirs are filling right now? It’s scary," said House Majority Leader Mike Schultz, R-Hooper.
Candice Hasenyager, the director of Utah's Division of Water Resources warned lawmakers in a briefing on Wednesday that there is still a lot of snow to melt, particularly in northern Utah.
"There is definitely a possibility of flooding," she told FOX 13 News on Wednesday.
Bill Keach, the director of the Utah Geological Survey, briefed lawmakers on landslides. Lawmakers said they would discuss more ways to warn property owners of potential danger following several homes in Draper that were lost to landslides.
"Landslides, there are going to be more of them," Keach told FOX 13 News. "We’re not done yet. We’ve probably got another month."
To prepare, local water districts have been releasing more water out of reservoirs to make room. It has also benefited the beleaguered Great Salt Lake. As of Tuesday night, the lake had risen over 4 1/2 feet from its historic low. It still is roughly six feet below what is considered a healthy level.
"Really we've been pretty fortunate, but our tools... we’re in many cases we’re approaching the end of our tools. A lot of our reservoirs are getting full, we’ve still got snow up there," Rep. Schultz said.
Some members of the House of Representatives resisted efforts to extend the state of emergency all the way until August. Rep. Phil Lyman, R-Blanding, tried to introduce an amendment to only extend it another 30 days, arguing that there is a separation of powers and recalling battles over states of emergency during COVID-19.
"Our power is to declare or to authorize emergencies for however long we feel that they may be needed," he told the House.
Rep. Schultz resisted it and said they were buying extra time for flooding that could extend into July. Rep. Lyman's amendment failed and the legislature unanimously approved the bills with no debate on them in the Utah State Senate.
In the special session, lawmakers also approved tweaks to a gun bill to comply with federal law, address an issue with firefighter retirement benefits and the Senate approved a long list of nominees for various state boards and commissions.
