Deputy State Engineer
Utah Division of Water Rights
Bio:
Blake Bingham is the Deputy State Engineer at the Utah Division of Water Rights. He joined the State Engineer’s Office in July of 2011 as the Adjudication Section Program Manager and Assistant State Engineer until May of 2020, when he was assigned as the Assistant State Engineer responsible for the Applications and Records Section. In April of 2022, Mr. Bingham took on his current role as Deputy State Engineer where he supervises the Division's six functional sections (Dam Safety, Applications & Records, Adjudication, Field Services, Technical Services, and Data Services), represents the State Engineer on issues relating to Great Salt Lake, and serves as chair of the Technical Advisory Committee for the Bear River Commission. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering from the College of Engineering at Utah State University and a Master's Degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Utah.
Title: Great Salt Lake Distribution Management Plan
Abstract: The Great Salt Lake Distribution Management Plan, adopted by the State Engineer on October 1, 2025, establishes a modern regulatory framework for administering water rights within the Great Salt Lake. Grounded in Utah law and guided by prior appropriation and multiple-use sustained yield, the plan sets clear expectations for measurement, appropriation, apportionment, and distribution of Great Salt Lake water rights, improving transparency and enforceability. A central feature is a priority schedule that links the availability of Great Salt Lake water rights, including rights used for mineral extraction, to specific lake elevations. The plan also recognizes and protects Dedicated Water that is delivered to or managed within the lake for use on sovereign lands, ensuring it is safeguarded from diversion. To support adaptive administration, the plan incorporates voluntary arrangements between industry and state regulatory agencies that align diversions with lake conditions. It also calls for development of a distribution accounting tool to track lake elevations, salinity, applicable rights, and Dedicated Water. Together, these elements provide Utah’s first comprehensive framework to regulate Great Salt Lake water rights in a way that protects the lake’s ecosystem, strengthens accountability through monitoring and transparent reporting, and complements broader lake restoration initiatives being pursued by federal, state, and local entities.
