Southern Utah

Rural recycling is a challenge and it comes down to money and demand. Even southwest Utah’s largest city has to cross state lines to give its milk jugs and tin cans a new life.

Water conservation is vital to southwest Utah’s future and removing irrigated grass at many of its golf courses would be a big step toward stretching that supply. But efforts have struggled to gain traction.

Farm irrigation uses a lot of water across the West. In one Utah community, however, farmers already grow crops without any irrigation. It might seem like an answer to the state's water woes, but the reality is not so simple.

Scientists expect La Niña to start by the end of this year. That could fuel a drier-than-normal winter and spell trouble for Utah drought and snowmelt going into 2025.

Alfalfa dominates Utah farm fields. It also takes a lot of irrigation. So, some farmers and ranchers in Utah’s Colorado River Basin are experimenting with alternative crops that might help agriculture diversify and survive in a future with less water.

The Northern Corridor Highway alternative route chosen by the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would avoid building a new road through prime Mojave Desert tortoise habitat.

Navajo family farms once lined the San Juan River in southeast Utah, but many have fallen idle. A water rights settlement with Utah has given some Navajo residents hope those farms can return.

Native Americans have grown food in the desert for ages, but many tribal agricultural traditions have disappeared. Now, people in southeast Utah are working to bring Navajo traditions back — one fruit tree and garden bed at a time.

About 32% of Navajo homes still have no electricity. Before the pandemic, Lorraine Black and Ricky Gillis filed the needed paperwork to get power. Nearly five years later, the couple’s mobile home in rural Halchita, Utah, was finally connected to the grid.

If you choose to vote by mail, Washington County Clerk/Auditor Ryan Sullivan says not to wait. Drop boxes and voting in person are options as well.

In recent years, thousands of new Navajo voters have registered, which could have an impact on some Utah elections. Challenges remain, however, when it comes to making sure Native voices are heard in state politics.

Milford in southwest Utah is becoming a hub for a new type of renewable geothermal energy. Now, the small town wants to learn from past mistakes and turn this rare opportunity into a more sustainable future.