St. George

In fast-growing southwest Utah, water conservation is vital. But for people in neighborhoods with a homeowners association, ditching grass lawns can be tricky.

Despite this week’s rain and cold front, drought continues to hold Utah in its grip. That has water districts considering mandatory reductions this summer.

National Weather Service meteorologist Hayden Mahan said if Salt Lake City hits at least 81 degrees this weekend, “that would be the warmest March temperature ever recorded. The previous record being just 80 degrees.”

New data shows how the number of residents walking and biking around town keeps growing. And the southern Utah city plans to add even more miles in 2026.

The lawsuit argues the approval of the highway near St. George breaks multiple federal laws, including the act that established the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area.

A new plant that cleans and recycles more sewage is another big step toward stretching Washington County’s limited water supply. It highlights the massive effort and big money it’ll take to keep the St. George area growing in the desert.

The Milken Institute put southwest Utah’s largest city in its top spot for the first time. The ranking highlights St. George’s job growth and wage growth, both among the nation’s highest in recent years.

A plan to build a highway through the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area near St. George is back. But public lands law experts from across the country question if the Trump administration is missing Congress's original intention.

The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute has reduced its Washington County future population forecast. That could have ripple effects for southwest Utah’s water needs.

“I just don't buy anything that's not something that I need to breathe, live and survive,” said one St. George resident about affording her apartment. Rents in this part of southwest Utah have doubled in the past decade.

In Washington County, projects like townhome developments are less common than they were two years ago. In 2023, two out of every five new homes built in Washington County were condos and townhomes. Now, it’s just one in five.

Both of the first-term incumbents, who ran on their opposition to tax increases, are in the lead to stay on the five-member council.